The Mating Moon
by Hitoko-sama
Summary: Kiba is being stalked by a very mysterious wolf. And one night, it bites him. And that one bite changes the course of Kiba's life forever. Yaoi! ShinoKiba. Slight SasuNaru.
1. Prologue

**Alright, so this is dedicated to KOHONAISYOURMASTER, a new friend I made while Rye and I were being all SasuNaru-y. But yeah this won't be SasuNaru( mainly anyway) it will be…SHINOKIBA -everyone gasps-  
Kiba: Finally my moment to shine in the good graces of Hitoko-Sama  
Shino:….Yeah….Shine….Well, Regular PV-**

Kiba had never been more paranoid in his entire life. There was something following him, and worst of all; he knew it wasn't a person. It had all started about three months ago during the full moon; Kiba found himself unable to sleep and took his dog, Akamaru, out on a midnight stroll around the park. It had been peaceful. The crisp, spring night refreshing on his skin, bracing him with its cold; moisture lingered in the air from the rains and nothing was stirring in the serene darkness, or so he thought. Akamaru started to bark at a bush and it rustled, loudly. The entire bush moved; it couldn't have been a small animal. And it wasn't. It was a wolf. It was much larger than any wolf he had seen and he loved anything canine so he practically worshiped wolves. So imagine his surprise seeing something that stood, on all fours, about five feet high. He couldn't even begin to think how tall it would have been standing on its hind legs.

But after seeing the wolf a whole five seconds, it ran away. He shrugged it off as an extremely strange coincidence and managed to keep a cool head about it; only telling Naruto about his experience.

Now that he thought about it, Naruto had acted slightly strange when he had told him about it. He had just brushed it off as the blond being skeptical but now he wasn't so sure. Naruto knew more than what he was letting on and Kiba swore he would find out what. Especially since now he saw that wolf outside his house every week for the past two months. It must have taken a whole month to even find him, Kiba mused.

It was absurd to think a wolf was stalking you, but this one really seemed like it was. Kiba let out sigh as he walked up to his window. Sleepless nights, that's what all of the times had in common. He couldn't sleep now either. Once he was at the window he looked out, strangely the wolf hadn't appeared yet. He glanced over at the clock, well it wasn't even midnight yet. He let his mind wander. If it wasn't a sleepless night, he would just roll around in bed having a fitful sleep. Waking up at least five or six times; once or so every hour if not more.

He sighed and pulled chair over before sitting on it. Akamaru walked up to him, whimpering and that's when he saw the flash of black fur. It was there again, looking up at him from the ground. One night he sat at the window for three hours just looking at the wolf. It didn't stop watching him either. But as soon as the moon was clouded over, it would leave.

Kiba wasn't sure why but he wanted to run downstairs, out the door, and onto the lawn. He wanted to touch this mysterious wolf, feeling its soft fur under his palms. He knew that was a wicked fantasy. He probably followed him here because he wanted to eat Akamaru. He frowned a little at that and the wolf wagged his tail, all to knowing that Kiba was watching, and he started to move forward, towards the front door. Kiba gasped. If that thing started to claw at the door or something of that manor his parents would wake up and investigate. The last thing he needed was to explain to the police that a huge ass wolf ate them and not Akamaru.

He ran into the hallway, swearing as he slipped on the rug. He grabbed onto the wall, looking around suspiciously even though he hadn't made much noise. When it was all clear he snuck down the stairs, wincing every time he stepped on one that squeaked. And it was never a simple creak and then silence. It was like a high pitched gun shot that seemed to last about as long as a car alarm when the owner wasn't around to turn it off. He managed to get down the stairs, without a single mishap. Akamaru had followed after him, keeping strictly at his side. He could tell the dog was nervous, because he was nervous too. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and he could almost feel it clogging up his throat. Kiba sighed as he slowly stepped up to the front door. He could almost feel the wolf's heat coming from the other side. It was waiting for him.

He told Akamaru to go upstairs and the dog reluctantly followed his master's command, making his way back. He sat at the top, watching through the wooden posts incase something went awry.

Kiba reached for the door; unlocking it and hearing the tumbler pull back the short metal rod that was separating him from destiny. Yes, this was destiny. He grabbed the coppery knob, turning it so slowly that he didn't know when the door was going to give way. He pulled back, ignoring the squeak of the hinges. The dark oak door pulled back and there it was, the wolf. It was sitting calmly on the welcome mat. It stepped forward, pushing the door open with its head. His nails clicked softly on the hard wood making Kiba back up as the large animal walked inside. Kiba noted that its fur wasn't black, but actually a deep rich brown color. He also noted the almost sunglasses looking eyewear the wolf had strapped around his head. Somehow he felt like he knew this wolf; there was just something so familiar about it. He reached out the wolf not minding as he made a slow movement towards him. And it was quite the man, Kiba thought trying not to stare at its endowment longer than necessary. He was pretty sure if he stared at it any longer it would steal his soul.

The wolf regarded him with a light yip and made the first real move. He started to smell Kiba's hand deciding then to start lapping it so gently that the boy almost thought he it was Akamaru when he got affectionate. He petted the wolf's head, loving the velvety soft fur that filled up his hand. The wolf seemed to like the pets because he nudged his head at the hand. Kiba's heart was racing. He was so excited that he final got to touch this beautiful creature and it was enjoying his company.

But that's when things took a turn for the worst.

The wolf jumped on Kiba, making the boy cry out loud enough for Akamaru to come rushing down the stairs. He growled and was about to lunge for the wolf when it turned, growling so dangerously low in its throat that Akamaru whimpered and ran back up the stairs, most likely to hide under Kiba's bed. The wolf seemed to almost smirk down at him as he started to paw at the boy's clothing. He tore the top half of Kiba's shirt open, making sure to rake his nails down the chest hard enough to draw blood. The wounds weren't deep but they still made Kiba shake with fear. The wolf leaned down, licking up the crimson fluid, almost smiling with contentment at the taste. Kiba whimpered and the wolf looked up at him. His heart was pounding then as he stared into the eyes of the wolf.

Before he could react, teeth sank into his shoulder. Any scream died on his lips as the unbearably painful, sharp teeth sank deeper and deeper. He arched up off the floor and could have swore that he felt hands underneath his back, pulling him up into the bite. His eyes fluttered closed as the blood ran out of his shoulder.

The man holding Kiba smirked, blood covering his mouth and staining his teeth slightly. He grabbed the smaller male in his arms, lifting him up to his body. He breathed in Kiba's scent, shaking with pleasure as their scents started to mingle into one. The virus was already starting to take affect. He cradled the small body in his arms as he started to move up the stairs; he already knew where Kiba's room was from the many times he had stared into his window, plus he could smell the dog cowering inside of it. When he walked inside that dog whimpered as his master was placed on the bed, the wound on his shoulder already healing up; before dawn it would be nothing more than just faint, scarred outline.

It was a very precious mark. The mating mark would keep him safe from the other wolves of his pack; a choice few had been eyeing him as well but now they would know their place.

Akamaru trembled as he jumped up into the bed with his master. He licked at the wound on his shoulder and then smelled it, backing up a little. The dog knew that man had done something to him; Kiba didn't smell right.  
-

**THE NEXT DAY!**

Kiba woke with a start, gasping as a harsh pain shot through his shoulder. He looked around, grabbing at the appendage like it would help him. He pulled his hand back and sighed with relief when there was no blood. Maybe that whole experience was a dream and he had just pinched a nerve sleeping on his shoulder wrong. Kiba nodded his head and stood up, Akamaru noted his master leaving the room but continued to sleep.

He walked into the bathroom and heard the tell tale signs of his parents being awake. All the dogs in his house were barking, which meant his mother was feeding them. Kiba sighed as he turned on the water for the shower. He wished very much that he didn't have to go to school today but it was frowned upon to not get a full high school education, otherwise he would just stay home with Akamaru all day.

The brunette yawned, stepping into the hot water. It cascaded down his body and that's when he noticed something white and shiny on his neck. He tried to scrub it off but that just seemed to irritate his skin. He gasped and ran out of the shower so he could look in the mirror above the sink.

It was a scar, and a large one at that. Last night wasn't a dream, that wolf really did bite him. But the thing that Kiba didn't get was why the wound had healed so fast; he wasn't a doctor and couldn't recall anything from freshman biology but he knew a wound like that shouldn't have healed in the span of a few hours. He started to think about all the bites he had received over the years. None were on the shoulder, so that wouldn't explain the scar, nor why he would notice it now of all times.

He gulped and decided to ignore it for now. Kiba stepped back into the shower and finished up like he would if it were any other normal day. He wrapped the mysterious scar in bandages, and if anyone asked, he would say he got into a little scuffle with Akamaru.

Before he knew it he was stepping out onto the lawn, the sharp air was turning more and more humid as the months between spring and summer started to lessen. It would be a little while longer before summer vacation decided to stop playing hard to get and would finally arrive; he was excited and ready for it. He walked to the end of the street to see a very sleepy blond walking his way. He waved Naruto over and blinked a little. He looked like he had been hit by a train. His hair was a mess, eyes had thick, dark bags underneath them, his clothes were wrinkled, and he couldn't stop yawning.

Kiba thought at after all he experienced last night he should look like that and not Naruto. The blond smiled a little, the sleepiness of it still shinning through. He put his arm around the blond's shoulder, almost as a crutch, so they would actually be able to walk to school together instead of Naruto passing out on the ground due to sheer exhaustion.

They walked in silence, not really having to say anything since it would be idle chatter anyway. Naruto would be to groggy to form well working sentence. But it was fine, they were best friends and all their silences were comfortable no matter what. But was bothering Kiba wasn't the silence, but the continual wincing Naruto tried to hide every time they would take a step and his hand would slide a little. His shoulder was sore… Kiba shook his head. There was no way that Naruto got bit by a wolf too. Absolutely no way…Right?

It was weird to think he wanted to strip his best friend down and see if he had a large bite mark on his shoulder. So he ignored that thought. It was just a coincidence that Naruto's shoulder was sore; he was on the baseball team, the star pitcher of the school, and could have easily pulled something.

They walked into the red gates of the school and Naruto let out a loud yawn that reminded Kiba very much of when Akamaru would do that same. It even had the slight pitch increase at the end. Also very suspicious. Kiba shook his head; Naruto wouldn't hide something important from him. They were best friends and told each other everything. But all of this was suspicious; the flinching, the way he had been acting the past few months, and the fact Akamaru wasn't treating Naruto the same. He was much more standoffish towards the blond now and Kiba just brushed it off thinking it was the new cologne the blond started to wear.

Now that he thought about that, Naruto really did smell different, not just his usual ramen anymore. He started to smell…Expensive. Kiba couldn't use any other word to describe it, but he smelled like designer cologne, nothing he could afford on his own. Kiba blinked a few times…Did Naruto get a partner? Someone he didn't want Kiba to know about? He stared at the side of the blond's head. Would he lie to him about having a partner? Sure he hadn't reacted the greatest when the blond came out to him but it didn't mean he didn't accept his best friend's lifestyle.

Naruto looked over at his friend, noticing that there was a bandage poking up from his cotton white shirt. The blond blinked and then a realization donned on him. Last night was the mating moon that marked the change of seasons which meant only the more hot blooded, passionate ones were out prowling for mates. But one had to be bitten to be considered a true candidate for courting. There was no way…

The blond's eyes narrowed a little. Kiba had been talking about seeing a wolf and a large one at that. Naruto didn't like that, at all. He didn't want Kiba to know but he had his own experience with that same problem. He didn't tell his brunette friend that because he didn't want to cause him any panic but now he might actually have to mention something; especially if one of the children of Tsukuyomi was trying to involve themselves with his best friend. But before he did any of that, he needed to confirm something.

" Hey Kiba." Naruto began, trying to keep his voice from shaking. If it shook a little, Kiba would notice something was off. " You haven't talked about that mysterious wolf in awhile, have you been seeing it recently?"

Kiba found that question so suspicious that he almost wanted to scream at the blond and demand to know what he was hiding. But he wouldn't, it would cause a scene and that was the last thing he wanted right now. " Yeah, I saw it last night." He watched Naruto visibly tense. Oh yeah, he knew something. " Naruto…I have my own question for you…You've been acting _strange _recently; why?" The emphasis on strange made heat rush to the blond's face. He could tell that Kiba had seen through his act and there wasn't much point in lying to him any further.

" Kiba, I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now that I've found someone…" Kiba's eyes widened at the confession. He was stupid for not realizing it earlier that Naruto had found a boyfriend. He was acting much more giddy and spacey than usual but at the same time much more secretive.

" I'm glad for you then. I had a feeling you were dating someone." He replied but then the blond shook his head.

" You didn't let me finish…" He bit his lip as they walked into their first period class together. They passed Iruka, their homeroom teacher, on their way to their seats. Kiba gulped silently as he sat down with Naruto. " The guy I'm dating isn't normal…"

" What do you mean, 'isn't normal'?" Kiba said, his throat becoming suddenly more and more dry.

" Well for one, I'm dating Sasuke." Kiba's eyes widened a little bit at that. He had been so sure that Sasuke was either straight and celibate or secretly gay. The gay was kind of obvious from his strange crush rivalry going on with the blond. He was happy for the two of them but at the same time, he didn't like how Naruto said 'one'. When a person says 'one' that means other things are going to follow it. "Kiba before I tell you the second thing, you have to promise not to freak out or like make a huge scene or anything."

It was bad. Kiba could tell that much by the slight desperation in the blond's tone. Either that or it was going to be so farfetched that he wouldn't believe it. Kiba nodded his head, " Yeah I promise."

Naruto nodded back. " I should have said something when you started to see that wolf more and more…" He said in a dire tone that made sweat start to pour from Kiba's brow. " Sasuke is a werewolf. He told me about it a couple months ago and I didn't believe him, at all, until the full moon came. He transformed and told me everything, especially the details of last night and what is supposed to take place. Last night was the mating moon; the home stretch of the mating season if you will. They start searching for potential mates on the Vernal Equinox, March twentieth, and look until June twenty-first, the Summer Solstice. It is special for them and their potential mates since it's rumor that it will renew their love at the renewal of summer. The more passionate wolves go out and bite the ones they had deemed suitable and from that night to the Summer Solstice, the official beginning of Summer, it becomes a race to consummate the union." He paused slightly. " I believe that there is a werewolf after you too…"

Kiba couldn't believe what he had just heard. Uchiha Sasuke, the desire of men and women everywhere, was a werewolf. And there was a different werewolf chasing after him, trying to get with him.

The brunette started to chuckle, and then full blown laughed, filling the room with sounds of insanity. It wasn't funny, in fact the very thought that Naruto had been serious while delivering that final line made him nervous. Naruto would usually burst out laughing if it wasn't serious, but the look in his eyes was convincing enough for him. He was being stalked by a werewolf. Tears started to sting the corner of his eyes; there was no way this should be happening. Werewolves didn't exist! He wasn't being stalked by one of them! He buried his head in his hands. Who was he kidding? It made perfect sense now; the stalking, the biting, everything. He had seen that wolf about the day of the equinox and every week after that. That thing was trying to mate with him.

" Kiba, calm down!" Naruto said shaking his shoulder; the brunette winced in pain and the blond pulled back like he had been burned. " You were bitten last night by one of Tsukuyomi's children." It wasn't a question and that made the brunette shake a little out of fear. Naruto knew now what had happened. "Kiba, this is very important…What did the wolf look like?"

" Yes Kiba, what did the wolf look like?" Shino's voice came and the two of them turned looking up to see not only Shino but Sasuke as well. The Uchiha was frowning, probably unhappy that Naruto had revealed his secret. He grabbed a seat next to Naruto, smelling him as he sat and the anger was replaced by pure animalistic desire. Kiba could see it in Sasuke's eyes. There was wolf in Sasuke. He turned his head as Shino took a seat next to him; his glasses slid down his nose a little bit as he turned to look at Kiba. In those eyes he saw his own rapture. Shino was a werewolf too.

And then another realization donned on him. That all too familiar presence, the hair color, the mysterious sunglasses that the wolf wore. That wolf was Shino…Shino was trying to mate with him.  
-

**Muhaha, my first attempt at ShinoKiba, I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Sasuke: Very good Hitoko-sama, multi talented with pairings I see  
Me: Indeed…Why are you here exactly? Kiba or Shino should be my commentators for this. It is their fic after all…  
Shino: Go find your own fic, Uchiha  
Sasuke: -glares and walks away-  
Shino: I think he might be a little possessive of you  
Me: Eh. He just doesn't like to be outdone by other pairings. This was Hitoko-sama!**


	2. Chapter 1

**I assure you all that I did not die! It's complicated and the main point is that I'm back! And whatever. Anyway, here's the technical first chapter of…THE MATING MOON! I hope you enjoy it! REGULAR PV!**

Kiba felt sick to his stomach when Shino took a seat next to him. He almost thought he was going to throw up right there so he bolted up from his seat and started to run down the aisles of desks, past Iruka, and out of the room. Naruto sat stunned and when he tried to get up and go after Kiba, Shino put a hand on his shoulder and stood up instead. He walked up slowly to the front and out the door. Iruka blinked a few times as the door closed. Sasuke looked at his blond and smirked a little, but Naruto turned away, unable to look at Sasuke. The Uchiha looked forward as Iruka cleared his throat a little, turning an expecting glance towards the duo.

" Kiba isn't feeling well." Naruto said, a tint coming to his cheeks. " Shino went to see if he's alright, and probably drive him home if he's sick."

Iruka nodded, completely satisfied with the answer and turned towards the white board, grabbing a red marker from the tray.  
-

Kiba ran into the bathroom, the door slamming behind him as he rushed up to the mirror. He was hyperventilating as he opened up the collar of his white uniform shirt to look at his shoulder. It was pulsing painfully against his skin and seemed to become red with irritation. He turned on the cold water and pushed his hand under the water so it would become cold enough to soothe his aching shoulder. He splashed the water upwards, and his shoulder seized with pain and his knees bucked underneath him. He placed his head against the counter and closed his eyes for a second but that's when he heard footfalls behind him. He glanced up at the mirror and saw Shino standing behind him, his hand slithering upwards and slowly placing itself on his shoulder.

" Let me help you…" Shino said as he started to pulled Kiba from the ground. The brunette was in so much pain that he didn't care what the supposed werewolf was doing. Shino began to gently move his fingers around the bite mark, and almost as quickly as the pain came, it disappeared. Kiba felt a warmth in the pit of his stomach from Shino's hands.

Shino's hands were surprisingly warm, almost hot but not sweaty at all. The heat was very soothing on his skin and made him relax completely into the body that started to press into him. Shino pushed him forward slightly so he was standing straight up, but Kiba's head moved back and started to rest on the chest behind him. His eyes were slightly glazed over with a haze of pain but Shino didn't mind, he knew the mark was a powerful and couldn't only be soothed by the wolf who gave it to them. He started to move his other hand so it came to rest on Kiba's hip, massaging the skin with his fingers. He did the same on the smaller man's shoulder, and a soft moan escaped his lips, making Shino twitch with arousal.

He could smell Kiba's arousal, even if he would never admit it out loud. It was filling the air around him and making him dizzy with lust. He took a deep sniff of Kiba's hair, savoring how the mixture of arousal and his normal scent of Axe body wash lingered in his nostrils. The urge to bite him a second time was becoming almost too difficult to resist. He wanted the virus to spread more quickly in Kiba's system so he wouldn't be so fragile, so completely and hopelessly human. Kiba's body would be able to handle him much better when the virus finally gripped onto him and turned him into a wolf. Shino smirked a little to himself as he thought of how much fun he could have with Kiba one the transformation was complete.

He removed his hand from Kiba's shoulder and moved his head down. He gave him an experimental lick. Shino received a whimper in return and so he continued to lick and kiss at Kiba's shoulder, making the smaller body shake with pleasure. It was only when he started to suck that Kiba started to loose himself in the hazy bliss he was feeling. He let out a throaty moan and Shino started to ache with need. He pawed at Kiba's shirt more, pulling it down so his chest was more exposed. He moved his lips up and started to suck gently on his neck, teasing it with his slightly dulled fangs.

But as soon as Shino began to play with the brunette's already hard nipples did Kiba finally snap out of his stupor and push the other man away from him. He took a deep breath, a dark red blush staining his cheeks as he regained his senses again. Shino growled with annoyance at being rejected and tried to recapture Kiba in his arms, only to be shoved again.

" STOP!" He yelled, backing up into the counter where the sink was still on full blast. " Shino, get away from me."

" Humans…" Shino began looking at Kiba through the tops of his shades. " Are so much more arousing when they're frightened." The brunette blushed even darker as Shino grabbed his face and pulled him forward. Kiba pulled away and fisted his hands in Shino's shirt, gaining the upper hand and pushing him back into the stalls behind them.

They rattled but then shook even more when Shino let out a howl that was so powerful it knocked Kiba back onto the counter. He moaned as his body shattered the mirror behind him. Speckles and shards of glass started to rain down on Kiba's hair and clothes, making him sparkle and glisten in the light.

He felt sick to his stomach as Shino approached him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, shaking the glass from his body. It fell to the floor around them like sharp flakes of glitter. Shino pulled Kiba close to his body and cradled his head, forcing his lips onto his.

Kiba whimpered into the kiss as he felt fangs nibble at his bottom lip. He gasped unwillingly and Shino's tongue slipped into the soft, warm cavern. Kiba was so light headed from being kissed and thrown into the mirror that he barely notice that he Shino was pushing him back up onto the counter. His legs and hands were dragging through the glass, making cuts and gashes, all oozing with blood.

Shino grabbed Kiba's arm, pulled it up and began to kiss at the cuts, sucking the blood off his hand and twirling his tongue around Kiba's fingers, teasing him seductively. " But I'm not gay." Came Kiba's bleak response.

" Really?" Shino asked, sarcasm dancing in his tone. He reached down and grabbed Kiba's already painful erection and gave it a squeeze. " Because this tells me you want to be my mate."

" Shino please…" Kiba said, grabbing onto the front of his shirt, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. " I don't want this, I don't….Let me go."

" It's already too late." Shino replied with a shrug. " Once you're bitten by a werewolf, it's over. The virus for lycanthropy is carried in our saliva and we transfer it through bites, and that's how we mate. We find someone suitable to bear the mark." He said shoving his hands into his pockets but not before fixing his sunglasses. " You should count yourself lucky that the virus didn't kill you. It kills one out of every fifteen people."

" Was that supposed to make me swoon? Because it didn't work." Kiba snapped back at Shino, who smirked a little.

" I suggest, Kiba, that you accept your fate as my mate. It is going to happen, whether you want it to or not." Shino said as he walked to the bathroom door, holding it open. " Oh by the way, that was supposed to make you swoon." The brunette glared at Shino and moved from the counter wincing as a shard of glass cut through his leg. Kiba used the wall as leverage as he examined the cut on his leg. He grabbed the shard embedded in his leg and gave a little gasp when he pulled it out. He threw it on the ground and started to limp towards the door. Shino was at his side in an instant. " I'll escort you home, Kiba."

" Home? But I can just go to the nurse and finish school…" Shino growled a little as he grabbed Kiba's hand and attempted to drag him all the way down through the empty hallways of the school. " Isn't Iruka going to be wondering where we went?"

" I'm sure Naruto and Sasuke have that covered, I mean you did suddenly bolt up from your seat, so he probably assumed you were sick. And when I left, he most likely thought I was going to check on you. We are friends after all."

" Yes, exactly! Friends, Shino, just friends."

" Friends don't do what we just did in the bathroom."

Kiba blushed again but then the color was trained from his face when he saw the blood starting to soak through his black jeans and drip down his leg, making a trail of crimson against the white and black speckled linoleum. He felt a sudden rush of lightheadedness and that's when everything went black.

Shino sighed as he grabbed the smaller male from the floor. Maybe he should have done something about his injury before making him try to leave. He shrugged, slinging Kiba over his shoulder. Something he would have never allowed him to do if he was conscious. He walked out the front door and to the royal blue Lamborghini Sasuke got him for the ten year reunion of the day when he was accepted into the pack. A day he cursed almost as much as when he was turned.

He frowned as he opened the passenger door and slid Kiba inside. He walked around the car and got in on his side. His engine roared to life and he smiled a little. He may of hated that day but he would make an exception if he got another nice present like this. From many weeks of experience, Shino drove down the all to familiar path to Kiba's house. He knew right now that his parents weren't home, and neither was his sister. Getting him into the house would be simple enough. Now getting around Kiba's dogs would be the problem. Though Shino liked that Kiba's family adored dogs, dogs don't like him. The scent of a werewolf frightens them into a frenzy. He thought about intimidating them individually or to take out their alpha. Shino rolled his eyes; he didn't think his mate would appreciate cleaning up the remains of one of his pets.

He turned up into Kiba's driveway and parked the car. He could already hear the dogs stirring and barking inside. They could already smell him. He smirked a little to himself as he grabbed Kiba from the passenger seat. Some of his blood had smeared on the black leather interior but he just stared at it. Shino's head started to ache as he tried to shake the memories from his mind. Now was not the time to have his brain start going off on tangents. He tensed as he took a deep breath. His top half turned to look out of the car and sure enough there was a man standing there. No, there wasn't just one, there was someone with him. Shino's eyes widened when he saw another head attached to his neck. He could only assume the bitch mother who gave birth to him was an alpha female who mated with a male of lesser status or virility. He smelled the air again and that's when he noticed that the dogs in Kiba's house weren't barking at him, they were barking at the other male. Shino's eyes narrowed as he turned to fully look out of his car.

" Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?" Shino asked in a tone that was dripping with a warning. The other wolf looked up at, his dark gray hair shining slightly bluish in the sun. His lips were a strange teal color and he could only assume how the virus was affecting his system. Being bitten was one thing, but born into lycanthropy was completely different. Most litters of six pups would have at the most three survivors, who wouldn't usually see the light of their twentieth birthday.

" Who I am is currently unimportant; as for why I'm here…I think you can speculate that answer yourself, don't you?" Shino's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. It was one thing to be insulted, but to be insulted on your pack's turf by a rival or a rogue was the equivalent of slapping a pregnant woman in the face.

" You're trespassing on Uchiha territory and I'm a second to Uchiha Sasuke. I have authority for which you could only hope to accomplish. So I'll ask you again, who are you?"

" My, my, pretty cocky for someone who is under a Beta. Cocky, cocky little Gamma." He said with a slight 'tsk' at the end. Shino was starting to get really angry with this guy, but he knew he couldn't attack him unless the other wolf attacked first. One of the more annoying rules the Uchiha clan developed. " Have I shocked you into speechlessness? How fortunate for me. I have a little warning for you, Gamma. I'm going to take that boy away from you, and not you nor your Beta, nor your alpha can stop me. Let that fester awhile; I'll be back later."

Shino was about to lunge out of the car and completely rip the wolf to shreds when he morphed, in the middle of the morning, and took off running down the street. Shino growled angrily under his breath as Kiba started to moan, coming to his senses again. He looked down at his potential mate and sighed a little, completely thankful that Kiba hadn't heard or seen any of that exchange. It would only freak him out that much more.

" What the hell happened?" Kiba asked as Shino grabbed him. He blushed furiously as Shino lifted him up and pulled him out of the car. He started to beat on the wolf's shoulders and proceeded to only get growls in response. He began thinking that Shino wasn't going to do anything if he continued to hit him. But he was wrong…

Shino bit down on Kiba's arm, making him cry out with pain. But as quickly as the pain came, it dissipated just as fast. The wound was already starting to close up and stop dripping blood. Kiba stared at his arm in awe but Shino just smirked to himself. Soon the virus would be completely infused with his body, which was the most painful part of the transformation besides the first full moon.

" Kiba, I think you should stay home for the next few days. And if you go anywhere, go to Naruto. Sasuke has a group of Zetas watching him at all times. They'll protect you as well." Shino said suddenly. Kiba raised an eyebrow as he handed Shino the key to his door so they could get inside. He put the brunette down but he winced a little. The wound on his leg was still open.

" Why do is this wound still open? The one on my arm is healed! And why do I need more protection? Shouldn't that bite, mating thing, protect me?"

" Your leg is still injured because the virus hasn't worked its way completely through your system yet. It still in the upper half of your body, mostly clustered around your heart and slowly working through your blood. Eventually your body will start producing that bacterium like it produces new blood cells." Shino said as he opened the door, and helped a limping Kiba inside. He was surprised when the dogs didn't do anything to act against him, such as trying to bite him or barking. They just looked at him and wagged their tails. " And as for the mark; no, that's not what its designed to do. It is just a warning to other potential suitors that not only are you off the market, but that I'm protecting you, I guess you can say I'm important in the wolf sense, I'm the third in command for the Uchiha clan. When I introduce you to the pack, they call me Gamma far more than they call me Shino."

" Uh…Okay?" Kiba asked. " Does Naruto have to go through all this weirdness too?"

" Define weirdness…"

" Um, strange amounts of rules and names that don't really make sense to me." Shino smirked a little at that and then turned to Kiba. He started to walk up the stairs with Kiba and the brunette sighed a little. " Alright, he probably understands them way less than I do."

" He knows most of the mating laws, but I believe that is mostly Sasuke's fault." Shino said as he helped Kiba into his room. He walked out and into the bathroom, searching through it for the first aide kit he knew they had. He found it under the sink, the seal never broken, which was a slight surprise to him. One would assume with so many dogs there would be numerous amounts of rough playing and broken skin.

" Did you just indirectly tell me that Naruto and Sasuke are banging?" He said as the wolf walked back into the room. He smirked a little but then just shrugged.

" Perhaps I did. I'm not really allowed to say. Besides, it's much more fun asking Naruto in person. He gets so embarrassed and says some of the stupidest things." Kiba smiled a little at that. It was very too. Naruto was easily ruffle and flustered, especially when it came to sexual topics.

" Shino…You want me to stay home tomorrow, right?" Kiba asked as Shino started to sterilize and wrap up Kiba's leg. The wolf looked up and nodded. " If you stay with me, and give me all the answers I want, I'll stay home for as long as you want."

Shino was slightly stunned by that. He wasn't expecting Kiba to warm up to him so quickly after giving him the virus. But this was perfect for what was trying to be accomplished, and it would give Sasuke ample amounts of time to figure out who was stalking Kiba.

" Sounds good to me." Shino said finished up his wrap. " I'll come over when your parents leave tomorrow. Make sure to leave your window unlocked."  
-

**Dun, dun, dun, dun. Dun….Dun…Lol Anyway. So Kiba's being stalked by another male and Shino is gunna beat some ass! **

**Shino: I better beat some ass. I'ma be pissed if Sasuke is the only one who handles this  
Me: Eh, don't worry Shino, I believe that this one has your name written all over it.  
Kiba: -walks in- Name written on what?  
Me: SHHHHHHH! This is the stuff you're not supposed to know about!  
Shino: He's going to find out eventually…  
Me: Yeah but the whole 'act surprised' thing doesn't work. I should know, I've done it before. No one believed I was surprised.  
Kiba: Maybe that's because you're a terrible actress.  
Me: …You're so lucky Shino's here, otherwise I'd kick you in the face! …This was Hitoko-sama. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Hurray! Another chapter…And I have a question for all my readers! Should I do a spin off one-shot that has Naruto and Sasuke as the main pair? Leave a review( or you can message me if you really want…) with what y'all think!Anyway, enjoy. Regular PV!-**

Shino drove, his eyes strained on the road as the rain came crashing down onto the paved road or bouncing up onto his windshield. Usually nights like this made Shino a bit more stir crazy, especially during the summer, he had been craving the sun and the humid nights where he could run freely in the meadows and forests, but on rainy nights like this he would have to return to the den and meet up with his superiors. Which technically wasn't a bad thing since that new male was in Uchiha territory and trying to creep up on his newly acquired mate. He had been trying to clear his head of the incident all day but every time he relaxed, even a tiny bit, the other male's face flashed before his eyes. Even when he was with Kiba, the other male would come popping up in his mind and make him think about how he needed to protect his little mate. He didn't think another male would take interest in Kiba that quickly, nor did he think it would be a rival clan member who was coming to stake his claim on him. He snarled as he pulled into Sasuke's driveway; the large mansion did well as their hideout and newly appointed den. They had converted the basement into a meeting room and the rest of the house was a safe haven for werewolves who needed shelter. Eventually, Shino knew, he would have to leave home and come to live with Sasuke and his Alpha.

He sighed as he got out of the car. The driveway, along with most of the curb, was littered with cars. He had called an emergency meeting while Kiba had been in the bathroom and Sasuke didn't hesitate to call in everyone. Shino knew that if he had a problem, Sasuke wouldn't take it lightly. He had been appointed third in command under Sasuke, which was a honor he felt that he could never live up to but his Alpha had never been wrong so far, and he trusted his judgment.

Shino yawned slightly and walked up to the front door, where he heard the other members of the pack talking and laughing. He saw them in the windows, all having a good time. He knew this news would kill that good feeling in the room, but this was far more important than everybody's mood. He followed the trail of marble stone sculptures of wolves to the front door, which was a thick, dark mahogany wood. Towards the top, probably a few inches over Shino's head was a stained glass window that had a full moon, tinted orange, no doubt depicting the harvest moon. The moon had an eye in the middle, it had a black pin-wheel like shape that was surrounded by red that ran out of the eye. Shino knew it to be the symbol of the pack but he never knew what it stood for. He sighed, grabbing the brass knocker and beating it against the door. Sasuke appeared in an instant. He had changed out of his school clothes into a black cotton shirt and some of his signature dark jeans. He smirked at his friend, putting his arm around his shoulders and leading him inside. It was more than normal for members of the pack to be a bit more affectionate than guy friends were. They nuzzled each other as a 'hello' and when Naruto walked up, they did the same.

Shino couldn't help but pull back a little more quickly than when he did with Sasuke. The blond stank of the Uchiha. Even his hair reeked of him. Shino noticed the twinkle of possessive amusement in Sasuke's eye when he took a hold of Naruto's hand. Their fingers intertwined and Sasuke nuzzled his blond a little bit, making the smaller boy whimper with pleasure when the Uchiha licked at his neck, showing his dominance.

" Sasuke, stop. You're embarrassing me!" Naruto said with a bright red blush on his face. Sasuke whined a little, his more wolf features starting to come out the more Naruto rejected him. Some of the other males wandered a bit too close to Naruto, trying to breathe in his scent only to get an angry Beta growling in their face. " SASUKE!"

" Sorry…" He said glaring over Naruto's head at a pair of male Epsilons who had been making eyes at Naruto. Shino sighed, if Sasuke, a Beta, was having this much trouble keeping the others off his mate, then how hard of a time would he have with Kiba? He growled and snarled at all of the other males, and they all ran with tails between their legs to the corners of the room.

" And that's why you're my Gamma." Sasuke said with a smirk patting his friend on the shoulder. " You compliment my styles so well." Sasuke sighed a little. " I just wish they would respect me a little more."

" They do respect you." Shino said. " They're just more afraid of me."

" Maybe I should try that…" Sasuke muttered putting a protective arm around his blond, pulling his close to body. Naruto sighed and leaned his head onto Sasuke's shoulder. " I don't want them crowding Naruto because of how he smells." The Beta nuzzled the blond a little more and he squirmed, making Sasuke growl a little.

" Well then you have to ask yourself this question Sasuke, is it better to be respected and have the admiration of your people, or is it better for them to run in fear of you?"

" Shino." Sasuke began, looking at the wolf who was barely a rank below him. " You're going to have that go eventually…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his mate and friend and couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were talking about. He knew he could ask Sasuke later, but he didn't know if the wolf would be straight with him about it. He had been willing to explain everything so far but there was always a limit to what can be said before it starts hitting the personal parts of people's life.

Shino looked at Naruto who was looking at him curiously. But he turned his eyes away towards a door and he tilted his head to the side. Sasuke smirked. " Your hearing is getting much better. He can hear the Alpha calling the meeting to order." The Uchiha said as he placing his arm around Naruto's waist, making sure the blond was at his side as he walked up to the door that led to the basement. The room had been filled with candles and torches, giving everyone's face an eerily shadowed glow. The walls had shelves lining them with books covering every available inch of the dark wood and were spaced out with tapestry that depicted the first werewolves and their transformations. Shino followed behind Sasuke and looked down into the crowd of wolves that we sitting around the room, all silent as they waited for the meeting to begin. Sasuke took his seat next to the podium, pulling Naruto into his lap. Shino knelt down next to Sasuke and then that's when he tensed up; the Alpha's howl was just so powerful.

Everyone lowered their heads as the Alpha appeared at the top of the stairs. Naruto whimpered a little as he felt the sheer power coming off of him. The Alpha smirked and walked up to Sasuke, who put Naruto down on the seat and bowed to his Alpha. He passed the Uchiha and walked up to the blond. He was blushing as the Alpha grabbed the side of his face and licked him from the crook of his neck to his cheek. He smirked a little as Sasuke growled.

" Oh calm yourself," The Alpha said with a smirk that showed off his enlarged and sharp canines. " I don't plan to steal him away, I respect and love you far to much to hurt you in such a way."

" Forgive my suspicions Alpha." Sasuke said grabbing Naruto again. The man smiled and patted Sasuke on the head before walking up to the podium and taking his seat. All the other wolves got to their feet and bowed to the Alpha. He raised a hand to them and they all took their seats again, sitting and staring at the wolf with rapt fascination.

" You are forgiven Sasuke, on one condition…" The Alpha smirked a little as Sasuke looked up into his eyes. " Call me by my name, little brother. I may be your superior but it doesn't mean we're still not family..." He paused a little, turning his gaze towards the rest of the pack. " But that doesn't mean the rest of you have that privilege; all the ranks below Deltas have to refer to me either as Alpha or Master. Do I make myself clear?"

All the wolves nodded but Naruto who glanced up at Itachi with a raised hand. Both the Uchihas blinked as Itachi pointed at the small blond. " Does this mean I can't call you Itachi since I'm not officially a member of the pack yet?"

Itachi sighed, rolling his eyes. He stared down at Naruto, who had shrunk down next to Sasuke as almost a form of protection from his brother. He squeaked a little as Itachi moved from his seat to stroke the blond's cheek. Sasuke growled a little but Itachi growled back making his brother pull away and give up. He put his hand on Naruto shoulder.

" Since you're my brother's mate and have special privileges in the family, you're allowed to call me by my name." Itachi said with a smirk; Naruto smiled a little then. Shino thought of how privileged Naruto truly was; most of the time, not even Sasuke experienced the warmth of the Alpha. " Now then, give your Alpha a kiss." Shino blinked a couple times, trying his hardest not to roll his eyes, no wonder he was being kind to Naruto.

" WHAT!" Sasuke yelled as he wedged between Naruto and Itachi so he could glare and growl in his brother's face. Itachi smirked back at his brother. Shino sighed, he would have liked to defend Sasuke's honor but he knew that he should never interfere in a fight, of any sort, between his Beta and Alpha. The last time someone did, Shino got appointed their job. He lowered his eyes as he tried not to get caught up in the commotion. " Itachi, this is my mate and I don't care if you're the Alpha. I won't let you kiss him."

" Dear Sasuke, it is quite normal, even for family members, to exchange kisses. Even you and I have kissed before, so what's the matter with me kissing someone who could be considered another little brother?"

" Because our kisses were strictly family, where as you and Naruto have no blood between you therefore it would be even more socially acceptable to cross the line with him." Sasuke said, his forehead against Itachi's pushing it back. The older Uchiha pulled back and then poked Sasuke in the forehead causing the smaller Uchiha to whimper in pain.

" Well there's only one problem with your argument Sasuke." Itachi said as he grabbed the front of Naruto's shirt. He pressed his lips down on Naruto's making the blond whine and thrash around before he pulled away and patted him on the head. " I'm the Alpha and your older brother, what I say, goes." Itachi explained as a murmur went through the crowd, most of them were nodding. It was true and there was no use arguing with the Alpha. He had all the power. Sasuke growled at them for silence but when Itachi took his seat again, the wolves went still and not a peep could be heard from anyone. " Enough fooling around." Itachi said as he looked down at Shino for the first time. " My foolish little Beta tells me you have news for the pack. Come forward Gamma and share."

Shino stood up then but not before he bowed to both his Beta and Alpha. " Thank you, Itachi." He said as he turned to face the entire pack. " As you all know, I was on a hunt for a mate these past few months...And I've found the one, Inuzuka Kiba, which means he's off limits to the rest of you dogs." Some of the wolves howled with laughter and applauded their Gamma's prosperous announcement. Others slumped down in their chairs and growled lowly. Sasuke and Naruto both smiled, hoping that Kiba would just accept Shino as a mate. They both thought they'd make a good couple. Shino looked around at all the faces smiling back at him. He took a breath through his nose and shut his eyes. " But this is where the good news ends…" The mood of the room dropped into one of depression and fear as their Gamma suddenly got serious. " There's a rival clan moving in on Uchiha territory. I met one today and he was trying not only to muscle in on the territory but also the potential mates."

Roars and growls ripped through the crowd of wolves. Sasuke clutched more tightly to Naruto as a more feral look sprung to his features. The only one who wasn't up in arms about this was Itachi, who was sitting calmly in his spot. He nodded his head and howled, making all the rest of his pack calm themselves. They all whispered and muttered amongst themselves as their Alpha raised his hand to them. They all looked up staring at their leader and waiting for whatever he had to say to them. Once all the noise had died down, he stood up and walking to the front of the crowd.

" Shino, you speak of very dangerous circumstances that we will, as a pack, have to face in the future." Itachi said as he placed his hand on Shino's shoulder. The smaller wolf knew exactly what was going to come. Itachi moved his hand up so only two of his fingers were pressed into Shino's forehead. " To make sure that what you report is correct, you will let me into your mind and let me see what you have witnessed."

" Yes my Alpha." Shino closed his eyes and thought back to when he got out of his car at Kiba's house. He felt like the memories in his head were being stolen from him and then cycled back as they were viewed by Itachi. When he felt the fingers leave his face he knew he could open his eyes again. When he did, he took in the troubled face of his Alpha who was now sharing the memory through the ranks of wolves. They all had their eyes closed as they watched with anger at what they saw flashing behind their eyelids. They all opened their eyes and started to growl lowly and fill the room with snaps of their jaws and angered howls.

" My Alpha, we must do something about this!" One of the wolves cried as they stood up in the crowd and snarled.

" My Alpha, we must hunt down this threat! I do not wish to fear the livelihood and health of my children." A female cried as she stood up as well.

All the voices were blending together as the fear and the doubt filled the air. Itachi closed his eyes and started to growl lowly in his throat but everyone ignored him as they voiced their complaints to him. He opened his eyes then, letting the blood red color take over as he snarled and growled at them all. Many of them whimpered and whined back at him, showing their submission as they sat back down.

" My pack," his voice was slightly thicken by the slight transformation, " we mustn't panic now. For that is exactly what they want; do not, especially in this dire time, turn against me and try to handle this on your own. We will fail if we are not united in this front." All of them nodded and remained silent as they watched their Alpha. Even Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off his brother. " I've also been sensing some slight disturbances in the territory, but have thought nothing of it due to the fact that many wolf clans know of how I attained my power and are still very much afraid of what I am capable of doing. However, this recent disturbance troubles me; they have fooled themselves have they not? Thinking that I am a force that can easily be disrupted and silenced." Many of the wolves snarled at that. Insulting an Alpha was punishable by death and highly offensive to the pack itself.

" But my Alpha," one said as she rose from the crowd. Shino recognized her as Karin, one of Sasuke's posse that followed him all the time. " They may have disrespected you but they know exactly what you're capable of and are most likely calling you out. Whoever the Alpha of their pack is, they want to get you out of the way and most likely interbreed with us."

" Yes." Itachi said looking at the girl. " It does seem that way, which means that they want us to get all riled up and head blindly into battle right away so they can slaughter us without breaking a sweat. Well, that much is obvious from the wolf's comment, but what you said can also be true. Especially if he's trying to muscle in on our mating grounds. However we can't think much of him yet...We don't even know his rank or from what clan he hails...He could even be a rogue for all we know...And yet, he speaks of me as I am nothing more than a mere pup. And from where I'm standing, that isn't the brightest idea." He looked around then, setting his hand on Shino's shoulder. " Alright, this is what we're going to do…"  
-

**THE NEXT DAY!**

Shino parked in the drive way. He had been waiting for almost thirty minutes for Kiba's sister to leave. She had been running late, Shino knew that from the whole few months of stalking Kiba. When she finally left, Shino wasted no time making his way up and into Kiba's room. The dog lover laid in his bed, his arm over his face as he laid on his side away from the window. He probably lied to his mother about having a summer cold or may have showed them the mark and said he was in too much pain to go to school. Either way, Kiba's plan worked and now Shino could protect his mate.

He sat down on the other side of Kiba's bed, leaning over the body that was so delicately wrapped up in his blankets. He turned Kiba's face towards him and brought his lips down on the brunette's but that's when Kiba stirred slightly, pulling away from Shino. The wolf smirked a little and used a tighter hold on his mate's chin. He pressed his lips to Kiba's and that's when the brunette woke up fully. His eyes fluttered open and he screamed a little, which startled Akamaru.

" Oh Shino, it's just you!" Kiba said wiping his lips off. " You scared me..."

" Why's that? You knew I was coming." Shino replied cuddling up to Kiba.

The brunette hesitated slightly and looked around the room. " Well last night I had a nightmare, and you were in it...Along with some guy who had two heads and he was saying some really weird things and insulting you. It made me really angry because he was also talking about me, but I didn't even know how I got mentioned because I was nowhere around...It was just really weird, you gotta forgive me, I'm really jumpy because of it...and well, your stalking me...The dream though, just kinda made it worse." Kiba shook his head and smiled a little bit at Shino. " It doesn't matter, right? Just a nightmare."

Kiba turned to pet Akamaru and while he wasn't looking, Shino bit his lip. Kiba shouldn't have been able to get transmissions from the Alpha yet, especially since he hasn't even met him yet. But then again, weirder things have happened in the wolf community. The wolf decided to ignore it for now and confront it when he finally took Kiba to meet the full pack.

" Exactly, it was just a dream Kiba, and you should know that even in your dreams, I will protect you."

" Yeah...You're right." Kiba said stretching and tossing the blanket off his body. He walked to the door and opened it. " Come down stairs, we'll get some breakfast and you'll answer some of my questions."

Shino nodded as he got to his feet. He didn't know how honest he should be with Kiba, but if Naruto had pretty much already ruined his secret about being a werewolf, there wasn't much else to tell about, right?  
-

**And that's where I'm ending it! I know, I know, lots of unanswered questions in this chapter! But don't worry we're only two chapters in and there will be answers as time passes on in the story!**

**Kiba: Nice cliffy.  
Me: Why thank you. Tis what I do best.  
Shino: Does this mean you're actually thinking this fic out and not just throwing stuff together at the last minutes?  
Me: What? I don't do that...  
Shino: Yeah sure...Whatever.  
Me: Exactly. This was Hitoko-Sama  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**Just as a heads up, I finished the SasuNaru one-shot that is paired with this fic. I believe it shall answer some questions people were having before they were actually addressed in the main story, plus there's yaoi and who can say 'no' to that?  
Anyway, it's called Prequel to the Mating Moon( really creative title right?) Since all of the events took place before the main story it is technically the prequel.**

**So without further adieu, here is yet another wonderful chapter of the Mating Moon. Regular PV  
-**

Kiba was laying in his bed. Shino right next to him, not ever leaving his side for even a second after they ate breakfast. Akamaru was sitting at the foot of the bed, his eyes narrowed at Shino. The wolf just smirked to himself, he could just growl and the dog would go running for the nearest exit. A trait that may not be so cute if the wolf scaring Akamaru wasn't him. Shino tried to grab Kiba around the waist and pull him close, take him his scent, and just in general be closer to him. The brunette just raised and eyebrow and scooted his body away, in fact he had done it so many times now that he just considered standing up and sitting on the window sill until whatever questions he had were answered. Shino thought about growling at Kiba but he really didn't want to scare him, well not really. He wanted to be with Kiba so much that everything he was rejected by him, it felt like a knife in his heart.

Kiba had a thought then. If Shino wanted to hold him so badly then he would be more than willing to do something to get the privilege. And there was a good chance that Shino wouldn't want to answer some of the questions, either in full or at all. In a weird way it was like having insurance over his wolf counterpart. He smirked then and Shino raised his eyebrow at him, not particularly liking the evil wink in his eye.

" Someone looks satisfied." Shino said finally and Kiba snuggled closer to him. He raised his eyebrow again. Kiba was prideful, one of his more annoying traits, but still something that was Kiba so Shino accepted it. And being prideful meant he wouldn't give up his dignity or for that matter, give up on trying to avoid his touches. He still thought he was straight. " Care to share what's on your mind? Or shall I guess until I turn blue in the face?"

" I have a proposition for you." Kiba said finally and Shino smirked ever so slightly, causing Kiba to feel a shiver run up his spine. Something about that look was so intoxicatingly powerful that Kiba had to bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself rooted in his sane mental state. But the urge to kiss Shino was making his heart pound rapidly, making his palms sweat, and worst of all, it made him want to be held by Shino. Kissed by him so gently. He didn't know why he was feeling like this. It was almost terrifying.

" Oh really?" Shino inquired propping himself up on his elbows. Kiba rolled to face him, looking so small and young when his hair was sprawled over his blue pillow case. There was something in his eye that made Shino shiver inwardly with pleasure. There was desire. He almost smirked again but opted not to. " What is this in which you propose?"

" You can hold me," Kiba began, gauging his reaction. " but you have to answer any question I have and you can't just skip parts otherwise the deal's off."

" Yes but how will you know if I'm leaving parts out?"

" Obvious, you've never lied to me. Therefore if something doesn't sound like you then its most likely a lie." Shino almost laughed then. That was probably the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard but couldn't help but find Kiba's logic adorable in everyway. He would feel bad now if he lied to him so he wouldn't but he wasn't so sure if Kiba would be able to see the truth in what he said. Some of the stuff seemed a little too farfetched to be real. Though, frankly spoken, he too was a little too farfetched to be real.

" Alright, ask away then." Shino said opening his arms. Kiba scooted so he was laying comfortably against the wolf. He turned around so he wasn't facing Shino which was fine with him because that sweet little ass was brushing into his cock every time the brunet made a single move. Shino smirked as he laid his head on top of Kiba's. He was blushing at their closeness. He hadn't been this close to another man since that one night when he snuggled Naruto. Their closeness brought up so many feelings that he didn't even know he could feel about another man; he closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. " Are you feeling okay?"

" Y-yes." He said, the blush even more noticeably red. " I'm f-fine! Really!" Shino rolled his eyes and pulled him even tighter. His breath was tickling Kiba's ear making him start to squirm with arousal which in turn started to arouse Shino even more as Kiba moved around in his arms. He had to turn himself off somehow, hearing some kind of horrible confession from Shino would probably do something like that. " Have you eaten people?" Kiba's thoughts instantly went to a giant wolf running through the country side, his strong paws leaving claw marks and prints in the ground as he sprinted across the land. He was stalking, his head low to the ground, ears back and eye shinning as he approached a village. He shivered then, the thought of Shino running through a village and ripping all the villagers apart made him almost want to throw up.

" You're kidding, right?" Shino asked then which made Kiba feel something that he could only label as relief. " Kiba, I'm a werewolf, not a vampire. I don't eat humans to survive or for sport. If I did it would be breaking werewolf laws; and yes there are official laws that cannot be broken. The punishments are severe and come in wide varieties of torture. It can be anywhere from banishment and being marked so no other wolf pack will accept you to having all your fur ripped out to getting your limbs ripped off to death." Kiba stilled then, all of those things sounding too terrible to even consider." Eventually you too will know all of the wolf laws and secrets just as I have come to learn. "

" So there are other supernatural things, not just werewolves?"

" Yes, like I mentioned there are vampires, or as we call them in our clan, The Children of Mikaboshi; offspring of the God of Evil and Darkness. They walk by night and feed on the innocent, their an evil breed and constantly at war with Tsukuyomi's children; children of the Moon. Which is us, by the way." Shino said pausing slightly. " Other than vampires, there are warlocks; half demon, half human immortals that don't really mix in the dealings of other kinds. They mostly keep to themselves, since they live forever and don't want to grow attachments that can be severed by death. They're called the Children of Okuni-Nushi, God of magic and medicine. There are demons; the actual children of Mikaboshi. They're the ones who introduced the werewolf and vampire virus into the humans. Then there are the faeries, the children of the Divine Gods and the Demon Gods. Nasty little things really; enjoying misery and cruel jokes. Though the only good thing about them is they can't lie. But other than that, I don't much care for them."

" So you've met some then?" Kiba asked, almost completely enwrapped in Shino's stories. The wolf found it cute, like telling a child about Santa Claus for the first time.

" Yes, I met the Queen of the Faeries once in the park by the elementary school. She was a beautiful woman; long crimson waves of hair with sparkling yellow eyes that gleamed like a cat's. Her smile was wicked, her teeth sharp as needles in her mouth. Her deadly beauty was something to admire but also fear; the maliciousness of her presence made me shudder."

" Why did you go?" Kiba muttered, turning around to look at Shino. He smirked then, Kiba was starting to let his body open up and trust him. " I mean there had to be a reason, right?"

" There was. Our Alpha had been summoned by her because a newly Turned wolf had attacked some of her kind. She didn't take it too well and was going to kill him but one of her subjects suggested that we deal with the wolf since it was newly made and went through its entire Change alone. She shows others mercy and sympathy like a Queen should, but it's rare." Shino said as he stroked Kiba's hair with his fingers so lightly that the brunette looked as though he had fallen asleep. But when his eyes sprung open after Shino had finished talking, they were filled with wonder and amusement. He was smiling too and Shino's heart fluttered briefly. Kiba didn't even know how adorable he was.

" Who was the wolf? Is it anyone I know?" Kiba asked, his voice bouncing with enthusiasm. But before Shino could respond Kiba cut him off. " Are the more wolves are our school? Any of the other races really, but still…Are they there? Are they invisible so humans can't see them? That woul-"

" Kiba…I can only answer one question at a time and I'll start forgetting them if you start letting your imagination wander around." Kiba blushed then, an embarrassed look shining through his eyes. " First off, wolves can't use glamour to make ourselves invisible. We just don't change in public. But after some time you too will be able to see through glamour without really having to concentrate. And yes there are other wolves at our school, there are no vampires since they can only walk by night. I've seen a few warlocks, probably ones who don't know what they are yet. They had glamour on, probably made my their demon parent so they think they're human for as long as possible…I know of a few Changelings at our school but they don't know they're faeries and a shame too. They'll live almost their entire life without knowing what they really are. As for if you know the wolf, you do actually. It was Sai. I don't know exactly what his back story is but he was Turned and left. Itachi took him under the wing of the Uchiha pack and we took care of him. That's why he got 'transferred' so suddenly at the end of last year."

" Wait, wait…You said 'Uchiha Pack' and 'Itachi'. I mean I knew that Sasuke was a wolf. Well, I learned recently that Sasuke was a wolf but his brother too? How does that work? Did Itachi bite him? Cause that's rude."

" Finally we've reach actual werewolf stuff." Shino said as he sat up taking off his sunglasses and rubbing his eyes. Kiba laid his head on Shino's chest, looking up into his eyes. It was almost like looking at someone else when he had his glasses off. " Itachi and Sasuke are different than you and I. They're elite wolves, true bloods. Both their parents were wolves and so they were born wolves and not made into them." Shino began as he laid his arms behind him head. " Wolves who are made with the virus later in life have about a seventy-third chance of dying since their bodies can handle and process the virus much easier with a more adjusted immune system. And even from there, some people are immune to the virus completely and don't Turn. But when the virus is born into you, there are even higher chances of dying. Like dogs, werewolves have litters. Usually in a litter of six pups, only one or two will survive, the odds almost switch; thirty-seventy. The most I've ever seen was three in a litter because they were the children of an Alpha female and an Alpha male. The status, unfortunately, is also important in survival of pups. Being able to control the virus and manipulate it like Alphas do is why their children are far more likely to survive."

" How could the virus be so powerful?"

" Because the illness isn't of this world. If you remember, I said that the werewolf and the vampire virus both came from demons. The legend of the werewolf is that a hellhound rose to Earth, summoned most likely by a cult; it hunted down humans for food and sacrifice. But when he would bite them, his mouth would bleed because of the holy properties humans' possessed at the time. And so his blood would be forced into their bodies. Some of them changed, making the first werewolves."

" Is that how vampires got started too? Because a demon went around biting humans?" Kiba asked as Akamaru jumped on the bed behind him. He laid on Kiba's legs, almost enchanted by the words and tales Shino was spinning. The brunette reached back to pet his dog lovingly.

" According to the books I read about it; a human-like demon who needed blood to survive fell in love with a woman. He couldn't control his hunger and drained her body of blood; he feel into depression as soon as he finished with her. He bit into his wrist and feed her his blood; because demon's heal quickly he figured that her body would heal in a similar manner to his. However the evil possessed her and she became like her lover, a creature that could only travel at night and fed on the blood of other humans. Thus, spreading the virus and causing the vampire race to blossom."

Kiba was silent for a moment as if his brain was absorbing all the information he had just learned. And there was a lot of it so he wasn't surprised that Kiba wanted to take some sort of mental break. Even him remembering all of this was actually mentally draining, though he was glad he knew it so he could answer his mate's questions. " What was it like when you were Turned?"

Shino froze.  
-

**ELSEWHERE!**

Naruto laid his head on Sasuke's chest. The Uchiha was rubbing his back while reading an assigned book for his literature class. The blond may not have been moving but his mind was racing with every that had happened recently. Kiba had been bitten by a werewolf and there was more than just Shino trying to be with him. It may have been illegal to take the mate of someone but this was most likely a rogue wolf, the rules no longer applied to them. He sighed, loudly and it made Sasuke look down at him.

" What's wrong my love?" Sasuke asked kissing Naruto's forehead. The blond shrugged as he pulled himself up to kiss Sasuke's lips. " Oh come on, its not nothing. You're distracted by something."

Naruto looked up at the Uchiha. " I'm just worried about what Shino said…The other wolf coming into your territory and Kiba. All of this stuff is just racing through my brain. I mean he was just recently bitten and already has all this stuff to deal with! We don't even know if he's a wolf yet." Sasuke smirked a little then.

" I remember a certain someone had similar dealing such as this…" Sasuke said as he put down his book. Naruto scooted up so he was straddling the Uchiha's waist. He licked his lips as Naruto stared down at him.

" What happened to me is far different than what is happening to Kiba. It's true Sai was trying to court me but unlike him, the rogue wolf doesn't adhere to the rules. Sai backed off as soon as you Marked me but this other wolf isn't going to even though Kiba has been claimed. Doesn't that bother you?"

" Nope." Sasuke said as he rolled the two of them over so Sasuke was lying on top of his mate. He pinned down the blond's arms as he squirmed and struggled underneath the stronger wolf. Naruto started to pout and it made the Uchiha groin twitch. He leaned down and began to suck on the Mark which was still painfully fresh. Naruto shuddered with pleasure, whenever Sasuke touched his Mark it was like he was healing and dispersing the pain. " You needn't worry that blond little head of yours. There are punishments for rule breaks for a reason. Once we catch this wolf, he'll be punished to the full extent of the law."

" But if Kiba doesn't Turn, he won't be under our protection! What if you guys don't catch the wolf by then?" Sasuke opened his mouth to respond but that's when Itachi walked into the room, making sure to lock the door before turning around. He blinked at his little brother and mate.

" Ah, I must be interrupting a very precious moment." Itachi mused with a brilliant smirk. He walked over to Sasuke's bed and sat down, lounging against the headboard as he grabbed the remote and started to flip through the channels. " Oh don't mind me. I'm hiding."

Sasuke rolled off Naruto and laid between his mate and his brother. Naruto folded his arms and leaned against the headboard, flipping the collar of his shirt up to hide his Mark. Itachi decided on a channel and set the remote on the side table by Sasuke's bed. The younger Uchiha laid his head on his brother's chest because there wasn't room to set it anywhere else. Itachi started to pet Sasuke's head very gently like he was stroking a puppy. Naruto could only assume that if Sasuke was in his wolf form, he would be wagging his tail.

" As I was saying…You're right Naruto, Kiba wouldn't be protected by us. He would be protected by Shino. It is possible for werewolves to take human mates without Turning them, we just Turn our mates so they're more protected from other wolves." Itachi nodded as he started to scratch Sasuke's scalp, making him whimper softly.

" Speaking of mates…" Itachi said glaring at the door. There was soft scratching coming from the other side and some small whimpers were heard. " Sai is still trying to court me. He's been following me all morning."

" You're the Alpha, can't you like, I don't know, command him to stop?" Naruto asked as Sai's scratching became more insistent and louder.

" I'm not allowed to give commands that dwell in the realm of matters of the heart." Itachi said as he sighed. " Maybe I should try to get that rule to have exceptions…" He continued to glare at the door.

" Itachi! Let me in! I know you're there!" Sai whined.

" I'm getting flashbacks…" Naruto muttered and Sasuke growled lowly in his throat.

" Never end sentences with prepositions Sai, no wonder you're doing so poorly with grammar." Came Itachi's quip. When there was silence coming from the other side, Itachi smirked to himself but it was quickly rectified by Sai pounding on the door. The older Uchiha growled harshly, causing the hairs on Naruto's arm to stand on up completely. " Sai, I command you to go out with the investigation team while they examine Kiba's house for clues about the mystery wolf." There was a defeated whine from the other side of the door followed by him stomping off into the distance. Itachi sighed with relief as he started to relax again.

" I can't believe a male is trying to court you." Sasuke said with a smirk. Itachi smirked as well patting his little brother on the head. " Is there something you're not telling us about yourself my Alpha?" Itachi gained a small smile then and poked his brother in the forehead.

" Yes Sasuke, I'm secretly a female. Couldn't you smell my pheromones? You truly are foolish." Sasuke laughed then and Itachi joined in, making Naruto sit there in confusion. Both the Uchihas looked over at him and looked back at each other. " Naruto doesn't know about gender roles?"

" It hasn't come up yet." Sasuke replied. " He's completely submissive so it hasn't been an issue with us." Naruto blushed then and Itachi nodded.

" He does seem quite submissive, yet there is a spark of sassy in his nature. He must be a fun ride." Itachi smirked when Sasuke growled a little. He patted his brother's head. " Don't fret my little Beta, I'm not allowed to mess with him other than kisses between family. But you should tell him about our gender roles." Sasuke nodded.

" Alright. Naruto you're a female, I'm a male." Sasuke was about to continue when Naruto cut him off.

" But…I'm a guy…I don't have lady part that I'm aware of so I'm not a chick."

" No, you're not a chick. You're a female, there's a difference." Sasuke said. " The female is the more submissive one in the relationship. The one who is usually courted by someone like me, a male. The male is the dominant one and from just my personality you can tell that I'm far more dominating than you. Therefore women can be males and men can be female. Which is why Sai trying to court Itachi is funny because they're both males and dominant."

" Though," Itachi said as he looked at his nails, " I would still be dominant over Sai since I'm still a male Alpha. No one but another, stronger male Alpha can dominate me."

" All of this werewolf stuff is complicated." Naruto said.

" The only reason its complicated for you is because you didn't grow up learning all the details of it." Sasuke replied with a roll of his eyes. " You'll learn it all with time…And maybe even a bit of practice…" Both Naruto and Sasuke were giggling lustfully and Itachi rolled his eyes.

" I can see you two are going to start being gross soon. Well now that Sai isn't chasing me anymore, I bid you good day." Itachi said getting up suddenly. Sasuke's head slammed down on his pillows and he whined a little. Naruto grabbed the Uchiha head and began to cradle it when Sasuke's arm snaked around and he grabbed a handful of Naruto's ass. He squeaked as Sasuke started to massage and rub the plump, firm flesh. The blond's eyebrow twitched and he dropped Sasuke's head.  
-

Shino let go of Kiba as soon as he recovered from his earlier shock. The brunette was surprised by the sudden release and was almost offended by it. He glared at Shino but the wolf was unresponsive to the look. Shino started to move, getting up from the bed. Kiba got to his hands and knees watching as the wolf started to grab his things and leave.

" What the hell are you doing?" Kiba questioned, his face turning red with frustration. Shino glanced back and felt a stab of guilt. But he buried those feelings in his heart.

" Avoiding the fight." Shino said. " I don't feel comfortable talking about the subject that was just uttered and I know if I told you that, you'd just get all excited about it and try to pry into it. Then I would yell at you, you would yell back. I'm skipping all of that middle man by just leaving. I'll see you tomorrow."

" I'm going to school tomorrow." Shino stopped then, looking back at Kiba who had a stubborn look about him. He smirked back at the wolf but was suddenly startled by Shino pinning him down to his bed. His breath was coming out in short gasps as his heart thundered against his rib cage. Kiba gulped a little as Shino's razor sharp teeth started to come out from his top lip and slowly cover his bottom one. He was growling by that point, daring Kiba to do anything to disobey him. " I just can't skip school for two days in a row…" Kiba was able to keep his voice still as he looked up at the angry wolf. " I'm behind as it is and skipping more school doesn't help my situation." Shino pulled back then and as quickly as he pinned Kiba down, he appeared at the door. Completely calm and cool headed.

" Fine." He said opening the door. " But you're coming home with me tomorrow so we can discuss the rest of this. There are things you still need to know." He slammed the door behind him and Kiba sighed with relief. He felt something wet on his cheek and reached up, it was a tear. He must have been crying with sheer fear and it probably was the only reason Shino had let him do whatever he wanted. Kiba pulled his knees to his chest and hit his head against the headboard behind him. He couldn't believe he had shown such weakness in front of Shino. But he could tell that it wouldn't be the last time.  
-

Shino was more than still heated when he arrived at the Uchiha manor. He stomped up the steps to the house and practically ripped the door off its hinges when he entered. Sasuke, who was walking through the living room raised an eyebrow at his friend. He stalked past the Uchiha and past Naruto who was enjoying some ramen in the kitchen. He slammed the back, glass door. Sasuke was surprised he didn't shatter it.

Shino walked over to the extensive garden the Uchihas had in the back. It was filled with the most beautiful flowers. All of them were hybrids of others and had countless mixed patterns and colors that shinned radiantly in the cool summer day. He could smell the Wolf Bane growing and maturing across from him, its silvery green leaves glimmering like diamonds. He took a seat on the concrete bench that was in the middle of the garden. The paths of it were paved into the Uchiha crest and between the paths were filled with the flowers. The air was thick and rich with pollen, giving it a yellow, dusty look. It was so peaceful.

He put his head in his hands and sighed. He had almost lost it with Kiba, he was slowly starting to slip again which meant _that _day was coming again. He rubbed his temples heatedly trying to get a grip on himself when he heard someone coming up behind him. He turned, seeing Sasuke and Naruto walking up.

" Is something the matter Shino?" Naruto's soft voice asked, his big blue eyes filled with worry and other emotions that almost made Shino feel even more guilt for what he had said and done to Kiba. He sighed and shook his head.

" I don't want to talk about it." He said in a soft tone, trying not to snap at Naruto like he had at Kiba. He didn't need two females angry with him. Or Sasuke for that matter, he would be quite angry if Shino had snapped at Naruto.

" Is it about _that_ day?" Sasuke asked quietly. Shino could still clearly remember the way Sasuke's face looked on that day…The day he was Turned. His heart felt like someone was stabbing it and he turned himself away from them.

" Yes, now if you don't mind, I would like some time to myself."

" I'm always here for you Shino…" Sasuke said. " You should know that by now…" The Uchiha grabbed Naruto's arm and started to pull him away very gently. The blond struggled at first but couldn't compete with Sasuke's strength and was practically dragged until he decided to cooperate.

Shino stared into the distance with a sigh dying as it was swept up into the air and carried off by the wind. Would Kiba like him as much if he knew the truth?-

**And that's where I'm ending it. Super horrible cliffhanger about what really happened with Shino. I hope it eats you up on the inside. :D**

**Shino: That's not exactly the nicest thing to wish for  
Me: I do what I do  
Shino: Indeed you do  
Me: But I do things that you would do that I would make you do that I can't actually do that you would be able to do Kiba:…What?  
Shino: …  
Me: This was Hitoko-sama.**


	5. Chapter 4

**I think this is going to be a mostly Shino centric chapter, maybe we'll get a small look into his incident! And then we'll all totally brag to Kiba and he'll be so jealous :D …Yeah anyway, I'm done being a nerd. (Not really) Regular PV.-**

Shino had calmed since his earlier encounter with Sasuke and his mate. Somehow spending untold amounts of time isolated in a garden really managed to calm him down. He walked into his apartment, he had long since moved out from his parents house. When he Changed for the first time, he couldn't look them in the eye anymore and he decided to move out when he could, with help from the Uchiha clan of course. Sasuke had offered him countless times a place over at the manor but he declined every time. Shino didn't think he could constantly deal with the younger more annoying wolves constantly. They held too many familiar experiences and emotions. The fear, the stress, the anger. All things Shino had tried to forget in those many years since his attack.

He set his keys down on the kitchen counter and looked up at the clock on the stove. It was nearly midnight but he didn't feel physical tired; he was mentally exhausted. The kind where sleep never came easy. He had a feeling that he was going to stay awake almost all night or if he did sleep, it would be plagued with night terrors. Something that he had grown accustom too over the years; he never welcomed them. In fact it was the hardest part of the day, the realization that he couldn't escape the dreams. They always were waiting for him at the end of the day, no matter what. Shino sighed, moving from the kitchen down the hallway to his bedroom.

Once inside he shed his jacket on the floor, putting his phone on the side table next to his bed. He kicked off his shoes and just stood their in the darkness of his room. His TV was black from when he shut it off that morning. The room was strangely vacant of noise and light whenever it was off. It was an eerie quiet. Shino walked up to it and pressed the button, filling the room with soft light and muffled sound. He turned up the volume before flopping down on his bed.

The smell of Wolf's Bane came rushing into nose as he buried his head into his pillows and blankets. It was a stagnant, slightly sweaty smell, something Shino had grown used because of the cold sweats that followed his dreams. He always woke up soaked, like he had just jumped in a lake and rolled around in his bed right afterwards. The prospect of it disgusted him. Though the Wolf's Bane comforted him; they used it to control the transformations and keep them suppressed. He knew if he didn't every day and wasn't surrounded by the smell when he went to sleep that he would transform without even knowing it. His dreams were just that powerful.

Shino shook his head of that thought before taking off his sun glasses. He reached up to his bedroom light and switched it off, rolling over so he was looking straight at the ceiling. Besides the TV, the only light coming into the room was from the moon. It was a mostly clear night, the clouds were slowly and barely passing over it.

The power was filling him and he let out a sigh of pleasure. It was close to the full moon, probably three or so days off which meant that Kiba's day was coming and he would see if the boy was a wolf or not. If he was, then it was a small victory for Shino; if he wasn't, Shino didn't want to think about that. Kiba would be considered completely fair game to any wolf since the mating ritual wouldn't count for nearly as much. Shino sighed as he pulled his blanket farther over his head. He really didn't want to think about that possibility right now. He really just wanted a good night sleep, something he hadn't had in such a long time…

_It was wet, the ground, the trees. Everything was soaking wet. For a Summer evening it was surprising, though Shino wasn't bothered by it. He had taken a liking to the days where the rain completely soaked through the cracking soil and withering, brown grass. It was like the Earth was healing itself yet still dying._

_Even though it had rained, it still smelled of Summer; charcoal, swimming pool chlorine, and dry air. The kind that burned your nose when you stayed outside for too long. But it was different now, mixed in with the soft, clean smell of the rain, almost making the air even that much sweeter. It was refreshing to say the least and that's why Shino had picked that time to go out for a walk. _

_His mother had been most insufferable lately and instead of staying around to scream his face off at her like the average teen, he decided to walk out the frustration. It wasn't a hot night, no because of the rain it was far cooler, much more tempered. _

_He walked around in just a tank top and pair of basketball shorts, far more relaxed that what he usually wore. But just because it was cooler didn't mean he wanted to be sweating. It was gross in his opinion. He sighed, it was getting late and his mom would probably flip if he was gone for too long. Shino walked through the gate of a park that was next to his neighborhood. It was a few blocks from his house and was actually quicker to cut through than going all the way around. _

_Shino didn't know why but he had an uneasy feeling as he stepped into the playground area of the park. It was the first section and during the day, it was so full of life but now it was eerily stilled with darkness. Shino paused when he heard something behind him; he turned quickly, praying it wasn't a mugger or something like that. There was nothing but the swing set, which was moving slowly as the breeze moved and tossed around it. He walked up to it and sat down. The seat was slightly damp and so were the already rusted chains. It burned his hands a little because of the texture but other than that it brought back comfortable feelings of nostalgia. He remembered coming to this park with his parents when he was younger and the all too familiar scent of the wood chips mixed with the rust digging into his hands, almost felt strangely comforting. Shino was able to shove the fear deep into his mind and he started to swing, getting high enough and then jumping off. He landed on his feet by the big toy, completely clearing the sea of wood chips. Something he always wished he could do when he was a child. _

" _How amusing." A voice called, snapping Shino completely into his senses. He had forgotten all about that feeling of fear, the anxiety growing in his chest, all of those feelings one gets. The breath was catching in his throat as he turned back to look at whoever was speaking. There was no one and it made Shino just that more nervous. _

_The voice sounded too real, it wasn't just in his head, he knew it. Shino buried his fists in his pockets, walking so quickly that he was almost running. He knew if he full out sprinted he'd get home in a matter of minutes but he wasn't even sure if there was something following him. He would feel like an idiot if he ran home because he got the willies. _

" _Boys are so cute when they're scared." The voice wasn't behind him anymore, it was coming from somewhere in front of him. Which sucked since it was slightly late. As soon as it hit about eleven during the summer, it was pitch black. Eyes were unadjusted to such dim light because of the brightness throughout the day. It made it far more easier to hide in this darkness and with so many places to hide, it made it like a horrible game of hide and seek. It had bad horror movie written all over it. _

_Shino wished he brought something with him, like a knife or something. It wasn't his style but they were far more handy in a fight than just fists, especially since you didn't know what the other person had on them. He gulped as he heard the shuffling of feet on grass, still no exact location of his stalker. _

" _You smell delicious you know, so fearful. I can practically hear the sweat dripping down your forehead, sweetening your skin with natural salts." The voice belonged to a man, but Shino knew that from the start. He didn't know where said man was and that was the problem. Shino looked over at the stage in the middle of the park, it was used to hold small entertaining shows for the children like singing pirates who praised the worth of brushing one's teeth. The man could easily be hiding on stage or around it, the stairs up to it weren't locked. " What's wrong little boy? Are you scared? Do you want your mommy?"_

_Whoever was doing this was taking their sick, sweet time showing themselves. They were also having one hell of a time playing with him. He could hear the sadistic pleasure in their voice and it chilled him to the very bone. He could assume from the little boy comment that he was assumedly older than him, but no telling by how much. He could be some geezer for all Shino knew. _

_Against his manlier instinct, Shino started to run. He grass slippery yet still slightly crunching under his feet. It was there, the small gate that would allow him access into his neighborhood. He was only mere meters away but that's when he heard the snarling and before he knew what hit him, a wolf pounced from the shadows. Its black, shimmering fur blending in perfectly with the cover of darkness. It pinned Shino down with its heavy paws, the claws digging into the flesh of his wrists as they extended. He cried out and the wolf only howled with pleasure. It lifted one paw and started to lick at the wound, lapping up all the copper flavored liquid. _

_But in the blink of an eye that wolf was no longer on top of him, instead it was a man. And a naked one at that. It made Shino's eye twitch as he took in a great expanse of white, sickly pale looking skin. It made him shudder with disgust. The man wasn't very tall, Shino was about five foot seven and the man's leg barely passed his own while they were lying flat. But he was surprisingly strong, still completely able to pin him down. His black hair wisped on Shino's face, leaving goose bumps where it made slight contact. He thrashed against the man but he just laughed, pulling back and smacking Shino hard in the face. He felt as though the man had smacked him in the face with a pound of bricks. He spit up blood and a chunk of one of his teeth. It only made the man laugh harder as he got off Shino. _

" _My, my, not so brave now, are you?" The man said kneeling down next to him and stroking his face. It was already starting to bruise where he had been struck and was very tender. The man poked Shino's face, making him moan with pain and pull away from the touch. He tried to roll over onto his feet and get up but was pushed to the ground, the man standing over him with a foot on Shino's back. " Now, now, what's your rush?" He asked forcing Shino's face into the dirt. " I'm just getting started." Shino tried to push himself up but he felt paws on his back and it made him freeze completely. Claws dug into his back, mixing dirt and mud into the cuts that were forming. Blood started to ooze out from them, turning a sick brown color as it was mixed. It dripped from Shino's back and he screamed silently, the pain so intense that it escaped sound. Shino took a sharp breath in through his mouth, grunting and screaming as the claws tore deeper, ripping and shredding Shino's back. He gagged on his own pain, vomit somehow working its way through into his mouth. He spit it up and the wolf howled with disgust, grabbing Shino's leg with its large jaws and dragging him into a cleaner patch of grass._

" _Please…" Shino rasped out, the wolf stilled looking down at its prize with a smirk. Blood and chunks of flesh stained his claws and muzzle, signaling to Shino that he wasn't only getting the shit ripped out of his back, it was also being bitten and tore apart. He was wordless, trying to sort out his thoughts through the pain shooting up his spine and through his entire body. " Stop…Please, I'll do anything. I don't want to die." The wolf morphed back into a man then, he was standing next to Shino, smirking and covered in his blood. " Oh how adorable. I do love it when they beg...Especially the young like you, so much pride at your age. Quite amusing." He said. " What would you say if I offered you ultimate power? Invulnerability, agility, strength, almost everything a person wants in this world. And it can be yours if you so choose." There was a hint of playful excitement in his tone and it made Shino want to vomit again, that man was enjoying this experience. " However, if you do not accept it, you will die here. I have bitten you lightly and it was not enough to fully transfer the virus." _

_Shino's head was spinning with pain that he couldn't comprehend the words the man was saying and had the worse case of selective hearing. " ANYTHING!" Shino cried as the pain made his vision blur. The man leaned down grabbing Shino around the waist and hoisting him up. His shoulder was completely bare and waiting for the man to take a bite of it. He smirked against the skin and then sank his teeth in harshly, taking Shino's breath away with the intensely centered amount of pain entering his system. He felt the blood rushing from the bite mark and it made his entire body shake with fear. He was loosing so much blood that it would only be a matter of time before he passed out or even died._

_Shino saw a blur of black fur as the man who was sinking his fangs into his was ripped off. It caused a larger portion of skin to come off with him and it made Shino grasp his shoulder. It was astounding how much he could take without passing out from the sheer agony of it all. Shino turned his head as two wolves were sizing each other up. Shino could tell from the blood dripping from the muzzle of the one furthest away from him, it was the man who attacked him. The other was standing close, almost protectively as he bared his teeth and growled at the other. That's when the trotting of feet came from the surrounding woods. His attacker backed up and ran, a group followed out after him and he could hear cries that reminded him of dogs filling the night air._

_Shino was gasping and silently moaning as he rolled around on the grass. Agony was gripping him harshly and it wasn't letting go anything soon, he just wanted to pass out so badly but it wasn't happening. He blinked a few times and then Sasuke was over him. He wasn't wearing a shirt, or any other articles of clothing from the looks of it. He was saying something to Shino, touching his face with such comfort that he leaned into the touch, but the boy was too far gone to comprehend whatever was coming out of his mouth. Sasuke glared out into the distance as another man walked up, he had a stoic face, looking much like Sasuke with long hair. It must have been his brother Itachi. He glanced over at Sasuke before reaching down and grabbing Shino. He cried loudly, the exposed nerves on his back searing with pain even from the gentle touch. _

_Itachi swore and starting yelling something at a group of naked men. The world around Itachi was going dark, so dark that it was starting to blur him out completely. He heard Sasuke's voice in the background, faintly saying something. " Kill Orochimaru." Was all Shino heard before it was all gone._

Shino woke up screaming. His heart was thundering in his chest as his breath came in short gasps. He looked around, his alarm clock shining big red numbers. It was barely three in the morning, that was probably the longer that dream had ever lasted. He shook his head trying to clear it of that bitter memory. Every time he had that dream he remembered a little more…That name, Orochimaru, sounded awfully familiar to Shino but he couldn't place why.

He grabbed his phone from the side table, quickly scrolling through his contact list and sending Sasuke a quick text message before setting it aside. He needed to know about this Orochimaru person, especially if he was dead or not because that was the most important thing to Shino.  
-

**THE NEXT DAY**

Sasuke walked into Iruka's classroom, getting a small smile from the teacher as the bell rang. He walked up to his seat as Iruka walked up to the white board and started to scribble down something, most likely a discussion topic about the book they were reading…Well some of the members of the class had read. It was one of the reasons why Sasuke wished so much that he had taken an AP class instead of regular; the only reason he did this year was because of that sexy little blond who sat in front of him.

He sat down next to Shino, who's head was leaning on the desk. Sasuke could only assume that his friend was sleeping since he never seemed to get enough of it at night. It would explain the text he got at three in the morning; he was angry about being woken up but when he read the contents, it disturbed him. It was only a three word question, 'Who is Orochimaru?' But those three words chilled Sasuke to the bone.

Orochimaru was a wonder to the wolf world, someone who practically revolutionized it. He had been bitten and somehow managed to get such a handle on the disease that he was able to become an Alpha and since he became a leader, he tried to gather followers and change the rules of the wolves. He pissed off a lot of people trying to do so, Itachi was included in that. He tried to take over the Uchiha pack by killing Itachi and failed, mixing up a lot of bad blood between him and Itachi. So much so that Itachi had tracked him for years and when he finally found him again, the night Shino was bitten, he sent out multiple wolves to kill him. Somehow, Itachi had confided to Sasuke, he felt that Orochimaru wasn't dead. And that was what bothered Sasuke to no limit. If his Alpha was suspicious of Orochimaru's death then there had to be more on the subject.

Shino's head rose as he looked over at Sasuke. " Did you get my message last night?"

" You mean this morning whilst I was snoozing? Why yes I did." Sasuke replied; he glanced out of the corner of his eye that Kiba and Naruto had turned around. Apparently Iruka had assigned group discussion for the topic on the board, which meant only two people were probably going to say anything relevant to the book.

" Well I assume we will talk about other subjects." Naruto mused as he moved to sit on the corner of Sasuke and Shino's table. Sasuke grabbed the blond around the waist and pulled him into his lap, since they didn't have to hide their relationship anymore, Sasuke was going to act far more affectionate in public. He nuzzled Naruto's neck and the blond leaned into the touches.

" You assume correctly." Shino said as he glanced over at Sasuke; Kiba almost felt angry as Shino seemed to ignore him. He blinked and did his best to ignore the wolf too. " Continue with what you were going to say Sasuke."

" Are you sure you want me to say it in front of them?"

" They'll learn about it eventually, right?" Shino quipped and Sasuke nodded. If they were going to be part of the Uchiha pack, and especially close with two of the higher ranking members, they were going to be completely informed about everything all the time.

" Alright. So as you can assume, Orochimaru was a wolf." Sasuke said bouncing Naruto on his knees. The blond didn't appreciate it and punched Sasuke in the thigh, only causing him to do it more. " Well he's quite notorious for a few reasons one being he was bitten and became an Alpha." Shino seemed stunned as Sasuke just nonchalantly started to wrestle and fight with Naruto like it wasn't shocking news.

" How is that possible? The best a bitten can get is a Gamma…Most pure bloods aren't even Alphas." Shino said, almost completely exasperated. It was a shocking subject for any wolf to hear. It was just such a preposterous notion.

" It's extremely rare. Itachi and I assume about every one in a billion cases will become an Alpha. If not less." Sasuke said. " And you have to think, that includes every case since the beginning of time." He said as he held Naruto completely still by squeezing him in his arms. " It has been said that Orochimaru wasn't the first in wolf history but to confirm that I'd have to go through all the old ass tomes in the library. It would take forever…Anyway, besides that whole deal, he also tried to get a good amount of the wolf rules changed. A lot of them dealing with the hunting of humans. All the wolves, besides his followers, were against him and the only way he would be able to get anything changed is if he was able to convince the Elder wolves."

" I assume from the laws we have now, that he failed." Shino observed and Sasuke nodded.

" But he still did an immense amount of damage to the wolf world. He killed three of the Elders as means of asserting dominance. But as quickly as he assassinated them, they were replaced. You know that Itachi is one of the Elders now, he assumed that position when the third and final one was killed by Orochimaru. Something that I can only assume infuriated him to no end, so as a means of getting revenge and a position of power, he tried to kill Itachi."

" Question." Naruto said as he pinched Sasuke's arm. The wolf growled a little and started to grope the blond.

" Answer." Sasuke replied with a little smirk as Naruto giggled.

" Why would this Orochimaru guy have to kill Itachi for a 'position of power'?" He asked.

" Because that's how wolves do it. If two Alphas are fighting over power or territory or a mate, they'll fight each other to the death or until one is so close to death that they give up. But only Alphas can do so since they're natural leaders and fighting for their honor as the leader of a pack. That's why there's only about a hundred or so packs around the world, most of them have one Alpha who combines his or her pack with another by means of breeding or fighting."

" Sounds extremely dangerous and complicated."

" Naruto, everything in the wolf world sounds dangerous or complicated to you." Naruto nodded but then the full weight of the words hit him and he started to hit Sasuke childishly. Shino grabbed Naruto then and set him on the table. The blond blinked with confusion at how fast he had been moved.

" You're distracting Sasuke." Shino said blatantly. Naruto huffed and turned away. " I assume that Orochimaru also failed to kill Itachi."

" Indeed he did. Itachi was far too much for him to handle and he was on the verge of death before he kicked sand into Itachi's eyes and ran away." Sasuke said. " He was disgraced then and a good portion of his pack left him to be with the Alpha who bested him. That's how we got wolves like Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu. From that moment he and his pack were labeled as rogue and if any member was spotted they were to be punished to the full extent of the law."

" So they were put to death?" Kiba asked. Sasuke nodded but then made a motion as if it wasn't fully true. He was glad that Kiba was starting to take interest in the wolf culture.

" It was more like torture to get information and then kill, which is fate far worse in my opinion." He said as he looked at Kiba directly. The brunette gulped a little. " But, supposedly Itachi managed to track Orochimaru down and he killed him."

" You say 'supposedly'…you're not sure?" Shino asked, a slight hint of anxiety in his voice. Sasuke shrugged.

" A group of wolves went to go and get him but while they were chasing him, he was hit by a truck, which luckily enough was being driven by a member of our pack. Once he was filled in, he just left the scene, leaving Orochimaru's body to us. And as you can assume, not even we have a good chance of surviving against completely reinforced steel truck going more than sixty miles an hour. We buried him but you never know, Orochimaru seemed to escape death frequently and even Itachi is suspicious of his death."

" So why are we talking about this guy?" Naruto asked leaning over the table so the top of his head was practically in Sasuke's lap.

" Because…" Shino muttered, locking eyes with Kiba. " He was the one who bit me."  
-

**DUN DUN DUN! DUN BUN! HUN!**

**Shino: Have I ever told you you're infuriating when you do that?  
Me: Do what?  
Shino: The dun thing.  
Me: But...I like doing that...  
Shino: That's exactly why its annoying.  
Me: -devastated-  
Kiba: Uh...This was Hitoko-sama.  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hurray for chapters for Hitoko-sama to write…I hope y'all are happy. -shakes fist- Anyway, before Hitoko-sama gets all weird (a little to late for that…) Regular PV!  
-**

Kiba was getting frustrated with Shino; he hadn't seen the wolf in almost three days and it was starting to really press his final nerve. Though he didn't even understand why he was so angry with Shino. Through his whole ordeal, Shino had been kind, understanding, and gave him answers to things he wanted to know. Kiba sighed; he blamed his moodiness on the transformation. It was messing with his hormones or something.

Naruto walked up to Kiba, yawning a little as they walked to school. Lately the walk to school had been a lonely one for Kiba since Naruto was off doing his own thing with Sasuke. But today had been a nice surprise. He slung his arm around Naruto's shoulder, pulling the blond in and messing up his hair with a closed fist. The blond wiggled around, trying to break free but his exhausted body was thwarting his escape. He bit at Kiba's hand making the brunette let him go with a slight gasp.

" I think you're becoming a little wolfy, Naruto." Kiba said about to examine his hand but found there were no marks on it. Not even a single tooth indent. It had felt like Naruto had cleanly bit through his skin and he could have swore a bite like that should have drawn at least a little blood or left some kind of mark. It was so strange.

" Behold the magical wonders of being infected with the Werewolf virus…" Naruto mused sleepily as he fixed his hair. " You heal like lightning." He threw his hand down violently to symbolize his words. "Ka-cha bitches!"

Kiba rolled his eyes and nodded a little. Somehow he wondered how Naruto went from completely drained to a ball of energy in two seconds flat. Sasuke must have contributed some to that…The brunette shuddered; as much as he loved Naruto and cared about his happiness, the thought of him getting sexually assaulted by Sasuke made him want to die on the inside. But speaking of that, Sasuke would definitely know where Shino had been, which in correlation meant that Naruto probably knew as well. " Hey Naruto, where's Shino been the last few days? He hasn't called me at all; I even tried to call him and I know he pressed ignore because it went straight to voicemail. There was barely even a first ring."

" Aw, do you miss him?" Naruto mocked with a smirk on his face. " It's okay. I missed Sasuke like crazy the first time I was away from him. We barely talked at all and it was making me stir crazy, but look at us now. We're practically inseparable. "

Kiba's face was flushed and he avoided eye contact with Naruto who was smirking even more after seeing his friend's expression. It was an almost devastated appearance coupled with surprise. Naruto knew that Kiba had been denying his feelings but just this tiny confession gave him hope that Shino would win him yet. " Just answer my damn question Naruto!" Kiba snapped suddenly, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts.

" Okay, okay, jeez!" Naruto said holding up his hands as a sign of surrender. " The full moon is coming up; and by coming up I mean it's going to happen tonight. Which is translated to you and some other wolves are going to Transform for the first time. Shino is probably getting things ready so you'll have the most comfortable change possible." He said as they walked into the gates of the school. " When I Changed for the first time, Sasuke took me to this really nice forested area where the moonlight poured through the trees and made him look so damn sexy. I mean oh my god, I was like 'yes, have me!'" Naruto paused and took in the look Kiba was giving him and laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head. " Anyway, Sasuke had been planning it for days. The location, the time, everything really. He even packed me a spare set of clothes, which is something you may want to consider…Anyway, so Sasuke planned it out. We were alone; he thought it would be less stressful for me if it was just him there and it was…Yet another thing you should consider. It might be a little worse for you if you're changing with other wolves. Kind of awkward since you haven't been introduced to anyone yet. But that's just my opinion."

Kiba nodded a little, not really knowing if he wanted it to be just him and Shino. He might want Naruto there too, which probably meant Sasuke would follow the blond. He was practically his best friend's shadow now. Naruto spoke again and there was a hint of pain in his voice. " When the clouds cleared away from the moon, I felt a strong sting go through my entire body. I can only compare it to having your entire body ripped apart in one big moment. But after your body contorts and shifts for the first time, the pain pretty much stops. I sat there for a while, in wolf form and Sasuke changed too. He comforted me, nuzzled me, you know all that stuff. He showed me things that wolves do and how they act around their higher ups." Naruto said making motions with his hands that symbolized that those topics were boring. " But yeah, Shino is probably planning something for you and doesn't want to stress you out so he's keeping you in the dark."

" Yeah…" Kiba muttered. " But I still don't see why he has to be gone…Or avoid my calls."

" I'm going to tell Sasuke to tell Shino that you miss him." Naruto said suddenly and bolted for Iruka's classroom. He saw the blond pull out his phone and he started to chase him down, completely and desperately hoping that he could get his phone before he sent an evil message to Sasuke.  
-

**TO SHINO AND SASUKE**

Sasuke pulled out his phone, smirking at the message from Naruto. He whistled lowly and Shino seemed to appear from nowhere, standing at his side. The Uchiha handed him the phone and Shino smirked a little.

" He misses me, how cute." He said and Sasuke nodded. He remembered quite clearly when Naruto felt the same longing for him. It was so adorable and it was painful for Sasuke to keep the blond at arm's length but it was for the best. If Naruto was around while he was planning things, he would have got nothing done. Absolutely nothing but sex. " Do you think I should call him?"

" Huh?" Sasuke muttered, looking as though he had been woken up from a dream. " Oh…I was listening I swear. And I don't know, it would be nice if you could line up the final details since today is his big day but other than that, the mysteriousness of your actions has caused him to feel the deep longing he has for you and it is good to play off that if you want him to love you."

Shino nodded his head. He had felt bad for leaving Kiba in the dark about what he was doing and how he had practically been ignoring him as though he hadn't existed at all. But the positives were starting to outweigh the longing he felt for the brunette. If Kiba was starting to feel the love between them, then it would strengthen their relationship and it wouldn't be long before Shino could bed him.

Both Sasuke and Shino turned when they heard shrieking and wailing coming from inside the Uchiha manor. Itachi walked out into the backyard, rubbing his temples as he passed his little brother and the Gamma. A group of young wolves came scampering out the door, following Itachi around as though they were nothing more than puppies and Itachi was their mother. He turned curtly on his heel and growled at them, making the wolves shrink back but then they just jumped on the older Uchiha. He landed on his back as they nuzzled and licked him; Sasuke and Shino just stood their in awe of the situation.

" Mother fuckers!" Itachi yelled as he pulled himself up from the mass of wolves. He got to his feet and the young wolves all yipped and looked up at their Alpha with happy faces. Itachi looked as though he was going to decapitate everyone. " Listen to me…Listen." All of them straighten up, ears perked to listen to their commanding wolf. " I'm not your MOMMY! And I will not take care of you as such! If you want a Mommy go find a Female Alpha." They all jumped on Itachi again but Sasuke intervened this time, pulling his brother up and whistling softly at the wolves.

" Go inside and get yourselves ready for tonight." Sasuke said and all the wolves started to whimper, heading back into the house.

" I hate how they'll obey you at the drop of a hat but when I say something they'll just jump all over me. Perhaps you should lead this pack full time while I just stick to a job where I don't have young wolves jumping all over me… Being an Elder wouldn't be that horrible."

" Oh whatever, you shouldn't even be an Elder. You're not even old!" Itachi shrugged; his powers as an Alpha were just as good, if not better, than any other Elder Wolf. It was the only reason they accepted him at such a young age. " Besides, the wolves listen to me because they're not completely and utterly in love with me. All of those wolves who were following you around were females; and they were horny. I can smell arousal all over you, it's kinda gross."

" Though I do appreciate that I have the ability to attract ladies and men, I don't like them hanging off of me or trying to constantly court me. I would much rather do the courting instead." Itachi muttered rubbing his little brother against him to wash away the other wolves' scent. Sasuke pulled away from his brother and nodded his head with Shino; both understanding what Itachi meant. Though courting was a major pain in the ass it fed and nurtured their animal instincts to be a predator and hunt the prey down and make it submit by any means necessary.

" The team I sent out is still out working the scene at Kiba's house…" Itachi said silently. Sasuke and Shino stood waiting for their Alpha to speak more. " I'm starting to wonder what it is they're finding. None of them have reported back to me and that only spells trouble. I have a feeling something important is coming for us, but as to what, I have no idea." He turned to look at his Beta and Gamma. " Until we get more information about the situation, don't panic or make any rash moves, do you understand?" They both nodded. " Good…For now just focus on the importance of this night. I'll inform you right away if something decides to rear its ugly head."

" Yes my Alpha." Both said in unison.  
-

**Elsewhere…which means plot is starting to really develop! How strange.**

Sakon stood in silence in front of his Alpha. His head was lowered as a sign of social submission and he would keep it that way unless he got a command to do otherwise. He knew his place in this world, unlike so many others who didn't. Like the humans, thinking they were so much better than every other race because they were dominant…For now anyways. The demon races were starting to become more and more prevalent in society and eventually humanity would be nothing more than servants and play things. Though, Sakon had to admit some humans were so desirable that it was almost disgusting. Like that boy, Kiba. He may have another wolf interested in him but that wouldn't stop Sakon from taking what he wanted. That Gamma was nothing more than trash, not worthy of such a wonderful human mate.

" Sakon, Ukon. Raise your heads and allow my light to shine upon you, my most valuable of wolves." Both heads raised and Sakon turned slightly so both of them could look up into the eyes of their Alpha.

His yellow eyes seemed to illuminate his face, making it even more sickly pale than it already looked. The dim light still made his long, black hair shine like an oil slick, adding even more to his sickly appearance. His voice was raspy and seemed almost forced at times, like a man who had been smoking for far too long. But their was a strange hissing quality to it, like he wasn't a wolf at all but a snake. His white, sharp fangs came out completely when he smirked down at Sakon and Ukon who returned the look.

" So, you've made contact with one of the Uchiha clan's lower ranked members." His eyes shined with an almost sadistic pleasure as he took in the form of the wolf standing before him.

" Yes Lord Orochimaru." He said. " He was one of the three Gammas Itachi has under his control. The one you Turned…I could smell you on him even though it has been many years since that day."

Orochimaru laughed wickedly, his eyes showing the amusement he was feeling. " How strange to think that Itachi would transform one of my rejects into a useful wolf. He intrigues me now more than ever…And I believe the boy you're after has been bitten by him?"

" That's correct my Lord." Sakon said with a slight smirk on his face. " He's just cut out a couple steps for me and it'll be easier to take him away from this Shino guy once Kiba has transformed. Plus, me taking that boy might lead Shino right to you and you can have him once again."

Orochimaru sat back in his throne, crossing one of his legs over the other as he smiled to himself slightly. " That's quite impossible…" Sakon paused, looking confused but that's when the wolf started to speak again. " He never left me. Even now my presence inside him corrupts his very soul and makes him long for the answers I can only provide. And even if your plan doesn't succeed, I have my own means of getting what I want…" He licked his lips. Uchiha Itachi, one of the Elder Wolves, an Alpha who had deadly strength and cunning, someone who made even the most feared wolves shake in absolute terror. He was the thing Orochimaru wanted the most in the world, and no matter what, he would get that lovely Uchiha. " Go now Sakon, take the rest of them with you and scout out the enemy. We need to know them inside and out."

Sakon bowed at the waste before shifting into his wolf form and taking off into the fading light of the day.  
-

**Back to what doesn't make the fans mad!**

Kiba and Naruto both walked out the gates of the school, stretching and yawning from the long and exasperatingly boring school day that had just passed. It would only been a few more weeks before school was out for the Summer and that meant no more torture for almost three whole months. They were both ready for that.

Naruto walked out into the parking lot with his friend only to have a car suddenly pull up in front of them. Sasuke and Shino both jumped out, grabbing their mates and pulling them into the car. Both the blond and brunette were so disoriented that they didn't even fight back. Sasuke got in the driver's seat, Naruto sitting the in passenger seat while Shino and Kiba were seated in the back. Once everyone was all situated Sasuke stepped on the gas, making them lurch forward as they raced through traffic, the streets, and seedy dirt roads. Naruto, finally coming to his senses looked over at the Uchiha.

" What the hell." He stated and Sasuke just smirked. " What's with the kidnapping Sasuke? I'm pretty sure Kiba and I would have willingly got into the car."

" I don't know about that." Kiba muttered as Shino started to nuzzle his neck. Sasuke yawned, putting his arm around Naruto's shoulders. The blond rolled his eyes but still enjoyed having his lover so close to him. It had only been one day but he had missed Sasuke a lot. Naruto sighed inwardly, he was so pathetically and hopelessly in love with Sasuke.

" Well Shino and I thought it would be far more epic if we just randomly pulled up at school and kidnapped you." Sasuke said and Naruto looked skeptically at Shino who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, making the blond turn his head towards Sasuke. " Okay fine, I thought it would be epic and Shino couldn't say 'no' to my plan."

" Technically I can say 'no', it just won't do anything. Kinda like saying 'no' during rape…Which means you're slightly raping me right now Sasuke." Shino said as Kiba rested his head on the wolf's shoulder. He saw Sasuke's eyes peering back at them through the rear view mirror and the little smirk on Naruto's face. It made him feel awkward.

" Where are we going anyway?" Kiba asked feeling an almost sense of relief being with Shino again. Though he was pretty sure Naruto had sent the message to Sasuke about him missing Shino, he would never admit it out loud to the wolf. His pride was far too strong and Naruto was just far better at getting secrets out of him.

" Sasuke is taking us to a secluded area." Shino said stroking Kiba's hair softly. " Tonight is the full moon and it is an important day for you. It will decide whether or not you're actually a werewolf or not."

" Well I wouldn't worry about that…" Kiba muttered. " I've been feeling strange ever since Shino bit me. I'm pretty sure that virus has turned me."

Sasuke shook his head as he turned into the entrance of a wildlife preserve. The logic behind this was that if they looked like wolves at night no one would come to question them which means that they could have a peaceful time and not have to worry about anything else but the transformations taking place. It was the most important part of the day, after all.

" Why are you shaking your head?" Naruto asked. " I felt really strange before I Turned…Isn't that like a positive sign?"

" No." Sasuke said as he stopped the car. All of them opened their doors and got out as Sasuke opened the trunk, handing them necessary items, like bags of clothing. He also pulled out a basket and a blanket. Naruto rolled his eyes but smiled a little, they were going to have a double date picnic! " There is no definite way to determine if someone who is bitten by a wolf will Turn. Even in a person who remains human, the virus stays in the system until the full moon. And when they don't Turn the moon almost heals the person and takes the virus out of their blood stream, making them completely normal again. No advanced healing, no acute senses, nothing but ordinary human." He muttered, hoping over a small gate and heading towards a heavily forested area. " As long as the virus is in the system, the person will have amazing abilities. The symptoms of the virus don't signal anything."

" This werewolf stuff is complicated." Kiba muttered as he followed behind Sasuke and Naruto, who were playfully grabbing each other's butts. It made Shino and Kiba both try to avoid the sight as much as possible.

" That's what I said!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke pulled him into his body, trying to suck the blond's pulse, but he was far too squirmy and it made Sasuke loose his grip.

" Hn. You two are only having problems because you're stupid." Naruto looked almost devastated and he started to hit Sasuke as they walked along into the forest.

" You're such a Teme!" Naruto yelled but Sasuke silenced him by picking him up and carrying him along the small path. Kiba and Shino were barely lagging behind them but the wolf stopped the brunette in his tracks by slamming an arm in front of his face.

" If it counts for anything, I didn't get this werewolf stuff either at first. It'll take time for you to learn and know everything about what's going on around you. And I'll always been there to help you."

Kiba wanted to call Shino out on that claim with the example that he had left him alone for three whole days without even a single text message but the brunette couldn't muster up the courage or words to do so. The look in Shino's eyes was so intense that it seemed to be blurring Kiba's every thought. The only thing he could do was nod and Shino pulled his arm back, hooking it around Kiba's waist as he led them into a meadow where Sasuke and Naruto were already wrestling around in the grass playfully.

It was a beautiful place. The sun was shinning directly on the grass but it wasn't too hot because the breeze was constant, breaking the silence around them with the swishing of grass. The chirp and songs of birds also added in the loveliness of the scene. It was just so serene and peaceful that Kiba could almost tell why Shino had brought him here. It would be the perfect place for him to change.  
-

**And that's where I'm stopping!**

**Kiba: What the hell! What a fantastic ending Hitoko-sama!  
Me: Thanks Kiba, I try my best.  
Kiba: I was being sarcastic.  
Me: So was I.  
Kiba: How could you end it like that?  
Me: Oh it was pretty easy, all I had to do was stop typing at a place where I knew everyone would be pissed at me for doing so. I do that a lot.  
Shino: So I assume that means even more is going to happen next chapter?  
Me: You assume correctly. This was Hitoko-sama.  
**


	7. Chapter 6

**This is it! The chapter where we learn whether or not Kiba will Turn into a werewolf! OMG :O Kiba: You're the only one who is excited about this…  
Me: Nu-uh! You lie!  
Shino: She's right, the fans are rabid for more.  
Me: Thanks for having my back Shino  
Shino: Just start already.  
-**

Kiba laid on the blanket Sasuke had brought alone, feeling very calm as Shino stroked his hair very gently. He hadn't been expecting the hours before his change to be so relaxing but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact Shino was by his side. It had been assured as soon as they sat down to have a picnic that Shino wouldn't leave Kiba's side for anything.

He glanced over at Sasuke and Naruto, who were laying together, practically entangled. Sasuke was on his back with Naruto's head on his chest, his eyes were closed but he could tell the blond was awake from the occasional smiles he would give Sasuke who was talking in hushed tones to the blond. The brunette almost felt a pang of jealousy when he saw them together like that, they seemed so happy, so in sync. Not like him and Shino who were still trying to work everything out. A realization donned on Kiba then as he looked up at the wolf, who was staring off into the distance. It wasn't just a weird feeling, he was starting to really fall for Shino.

Shino looked down at Kiba's reddening face and smirked a little, making the blush spread even farther across his face. He leaned in slightly as Kiba seemed to be too stunned to move and planted a very soft kiss on his lips. The brunette still thought it was weird to have another man's lips on his own but it wasn't like anyone around him could judge him or make rude comments. Kiba mused that Sasuke and Naruto were probably to wrapped up in their own little world to even notice that they were sharing a kiss but when Shino pulled away he noticed the two stares they were getting, accompanied by the girlish giggling of Naruto.

" Oh, and you didn't miss Shino, neh?" Naruto teased and the brunette's face was completely red within the moment. Sasuke smirked a little at Shino who just shrugged and started to pet Kiba's head more, trying to coax him into calming down a little. Kiba turned so he was facing the wolf's stomach. " Sasuke, I think Kiba is trying to go for the gold…" The Uchiha burst out laughing and Kiba jumped to his feet, as Sasuke pulled himself away from his mate and the brunette tackled the blond. Naruto squealed with surprise and started to roll around the Kiba; he managed to put the brunette into a head lock and wrapped his legs around his waist.

" I'm not Sasuke!" Kiba breathed out flailing his arms and kicking his legs in hopes to loosen Naruto's death like grip. " I don't like your legs wrapped around my waist!"

" WHAT?" There was a dark blush on Naruto's face and Sasuke chuckled darkly.

" Indeed, but Naruto and I do it more when he's on his knees…" The blond looked absolutely horrified but was stunned enough to where Kiba managed to free himself of the blond, flip their positions so Naruto was on the ground. The brunette sat on Naruto's back and was constantly being bucked up by bursts of Naruto's strength. Kiba wondered when Naruto had gotten so strong, even in their normal play fights he didn't use this much strength. The blond forced himself up, knocking Kiba off his back and then walking angrily over to Sasuke. He tried to hide his amusement but failed when Naruto jumped on top of him and playfully hit his chest.

" I can't believe you said that! That's so embarrassing!" Naruto whined but then yelped a little as Sasuke flipped it so he was lying on top of the blond, smothering him with kisses. Shino and Kiba both rolled their eyes at the sight.

" They really do make a good couple." Kiba muttered and the wolf snorted a little, smirking as he wrapped his arms around Kiba's waist. He kissed him gently on the neck where he could still smell his mark, it fully healed by now but he knew that he could still get a rise from the brunette when he touched it. Shino's lips were hovering right above the mark when he felt himself twitch and paused in all his motions, both Naruto and Sasuke did the same thing. Kiba felt something but didn't know what it was, he ignored it, more interested in why everyone had become still. " What's going on?" All of them were silent and Naruto stood up, helping Sasuke to his feet. The silence was starting to weird Kiba out but just like that they all snapped back into reality. " Did you all just drift off for a minute or something?"

" No, Itachi was communicating with us mentally." Sasuke muttered. " You picked up on it but could hear it, at least not yet. When you Turn, you can hear him whenever he does something like this."

" Itachi is telepathic? That's kinda, really awesome." Kiba muttered and Naruto nodded his head; Kiba had a feeling that the blond probably had the same reaction when he heard about it for the first time. " What did he say?"

" Oh, just to remind that the newly bitten must be ready for the Change tonight. Which means wolves have to get things ready for their mates and get to the designated areas or wherever they want as long as they won't be seen." Sasuke said with a shrug. " It's mostly for the wolves who had very recently bit their mates…Like a couples day ago, and yes, there are wolves who do that so they'll know the results very soon. Though the idea is sound, it isn't any better for the person bitten. Around the full moon the virus intensifies and can cause a far more painful experience. And if they survive, it can put them into a short coma and they won't even transform."

" That seems pointless." Kiba muttered and Naruto nodded his head in agreement. Sasuke and Shino both shrugged.

" Yes but if you do all of that within days of each other, it eliminates much of the pain early on. That's why I bit you about a week before this full moon. I had been planning it for a long time." Shino said as he walked back to the blanket and sat down. Everyone followed his lead. " The only thing left for us to do is wait for sundown, which will take a few more hours since the days are so long now." -

**Later…ELSEWHERE**

Itachi sat in the back corner of a café, looking as though he was enjoying a cup of coffee but he was on edge. He always was around the Change but at the same time there was something else adding to his anxiety. And that thing was walking through the door, he could smell him as soon as the door opened. He walked up to the table sitting in the vacant spot across from Itachi. His wild red hair was cutting the air with all of its angles and bringing much attention to his shockingly blue eyes and the deathly paleness of his skin. The man had a strong presence, making more than a few people turn to look at him. Murmurs surrounded them but they just ignored the gossip.

" Were you followed?" The red head muttered leaning back against the cushion of the booth, making the ruddy leather squeak slightly as he relaxed.

Itachi shook his head. " Am I ever followed? There is a reason why I plan all of our meetings on the full moon. All the wolves are far to preoccupied to notice that I've slipped out, even if I'm gone most of the night. They make their own assumptions about my absence. What about you? Were you followed?"

" No. My clan has probably just arisen and is most likely going hunting or whatever they do in the morning. They barely have any regard for me and my whereabouts. All of them are very self involved, even more so than regular Vampires." He said with a shrug. He looked up at Itachi who was nodding a little. The Uchiha could understand the respect issue very well. The red head sighed. " But enough about my problems; I got your voicemail about this wolf problem you've been having and I'm sorry to say that I'm at a loss."

" I assume that means you have no information pertaining to the identity of this wolf, nor if he is a rogue or not." Itachi said taking a sip of his coffee.

The red head nodded his head and then just sighed. " I'm afraid so. My clan would have notified me if a rogue had come into the area. The rogues tend to be far more aggressive in the presence of Vampires since they seem to have nothing to loose." His fangs were slightly visible as he spoke and Itachi could never stop being astounded by the sharp, needle like teeth. " You're staring at me again…" Itachi snapped back into reality, looking slight surprised. The red head smiled. " My fangs are slipping out because of the all humans around. They smell better than they usually do."

" Have you feed recently?" The man shook his head and Itachi rolled his eyes. " Which is why your fangs are slipping, you're hungry. You know, if you want we can get you a coffee and I'll mix my blood into it."

The red head smirked at his companion." A Werewolf offering a Vampire his blood? I think the world may be coming to an end."

" Well, by that logic the world ended when a Vampire and a Werewolf could have a decent conversation without any insults or bloodshed before or after." Itachi muttered, smirking a little.

" Oh no. We've ended the world." The red head muttered sarcastically, his voice almost completely without inflection. He rolled his eyes and smiled a little at Itachi. " You know, I'm glad that even after I was changed into a vampire that we were still able to be friends. And I also appreciate you keeping an eye on Naruto for me."

" You should thank Sasuke for that one. He was the one who mated with Naruto after all, but keeping you posted on his life is the least I can do since you give me so much useful information." He said. " But this is what friends are for, right?" The words came out breathlessly and Itachi leaned forward. The red head did the same, his face only a few inches away from the Uchiha's.

" Itachi, I have something important…" Sai said running up to the table, Itachi pulled back instantly, looking as though he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. " …To tell you…" The sense of urgency had been dropped from Sai's tone as he blinked at the scene in front of them but when he smelled the air, he instantly put up his guard. " What the hell is a Vampire doing here with you?" He smelled again, a shocked look on his face. " Not just a Vampire, the leader for the Vampires of this area…"

" Sai, I order you to sit down next to me and not attack this man." The wolf begrudgingly took a seat next to his Alpha, glaring at the red head the entire time. " How did you find me?"

" You always come to this café during the full moon, so that's where I assumed you'd be." Itachi looked slightly stunned to hear that coming from the wolf but said nothing. " But my Alpha, we have many things to discuss and should get going." He gave a pointed look towards the red head who was also glaring back at him, hiding his bared fangs behind his hands. He may not have liked whoever this wolf was, but it would be a problem to start a fight with him in this public place.

" You know, you should be kinder to the man who's brother you tried to court." Sai tensed up then turning his attention from his Alpha to the red head who looked equally stunned by Itachi's statement. He looked over at the boy sitting next to Itachi and dropped his hands, letting the wolf get a good look at his face.

" Then…you're Uzumaki Kyuubi…And you're a Vampire?" The Vampire nodded, smiling so the wolves could see his very extended fangs.

" Indeed I am Uzumaki Kyuubi and the lead Vampire of this region." He said with a smirk, his eyes pointed straight at Sai. " Tremble with fear or whatever the hell you want to do since I don't really give a damn." His body stopped tensing and the three of them were finally able to breath easily knowing that no one was going to get out of line.

Sai was silent and scooted a little closer to his Alpha, but it didn't go unnoticed by Itachi or Kyuubi since they both gave each other amused looks. Itachi leaned his face on his hand, looking over at the wolf sitting next to him. His face was unreadable to Sai, who sat next to him nonchalantly.

" Sai, what exactly was it you needed to tell me?" Itachi asked and the other wolf eyed Kyuubi hesitantly. " Do not be afraid to tell me something in front of Kyuubi, he would probably learn of it eventually, he is as powerful and influential in the Vampire community as I am in the Werewolves. Besides, news always spreads through Otherworlders. It's a lot like a rumor in High school, eventually everyone will know about it."

Sai nodded. " As long as you are certain My Alpha…" He seemed to take a moment to compose himself, letting out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. " They picked up a scent at Kiba's house, it had been mostly covered by the mystery wolf's scent but one of the elder wolves was able to pick it up as soon as they sniffed it. He confirmed it to be that of Orochimaru."

Both Kyuubi and Itachi stilled as they heard that name fall from Sai's lips. Itachi's grip on his cup tightened to the point where it shattered in his hand. Sai gasped a little grabbed Itachi's hand and started checking it for injuries. He saw one and licked it softly, whimpering a little at the thought of his Alpha being even the tiniest bit injured. The wound started to disappear and he pulled back, letting Itachi's hand go.

" Sai, are you certain it was Orochimaru?" Itachi asked, in a slightly dire tone.

The wolf nodded. " Yes, it was the name he said and he had an adverse reaction, like he was about to have a heart attack. He even verified the smell with the sample of Orochimaru's flesh we had, whoever that unidentified wolf is, he's most likely a subordinate of that man…"

Itachi shook his head. " I should have known a man like that wouldn't have died, even with those extreme injuries. His healing powers must be far better than any other wolf in history, there's no other way to explain it."

" So what does this mean?" Kyuubi asked, " should we rally the troops and go after him?"

" No, for right now we shouldn't do anything until he makes another move. We don't know what he's after and because of that, he is potentially far more dangerous." Itachi muttered, an annoyed look coming over his features. " I will not allow my people to go recklessly into battle…" He stood up then, making Sai get up as well so he could slid out of the booth. " For now, I'll have to cut our meeting short, forgive me Kyuubi. I'll be in touch with you soon."

Itachi led Sai out, his hand on the younger wolf's shoulder as he directed him through the room of humans. They hadn't heard or noticed a single word of their conversation and for some reason they never did, Itachi had always found it interesting that humans were so oblivious to the many secrets around them. The wolf almost found a strange comfort in his Alpha's touch and it made him snuggle a little closer to him, making Itachi roll his eyes. They reached the door and Itachi opened it, letting Sai go out before him.

" Sai, I forbid to say a single word about what you've just seen here. No one can know I'm meeting up with the leader of the Vampires." The wolf nodded his head, looking slightly cross at the Uchiha. He knew he couldn't disobey his Alpha under penalty of death and the only thing he could do was grit his teeth. " You're jealous aren't you?"

" I don't know why you would think something like that." Sai said raising an eyebrow at his Alpha.

" You make me roll my eyes more than anyone else I've ever met." Itachi said rolling his eyes at Sai's comment. " I know you've been trying to court me and I also know you saw us almost kiss; I bet that somewhat fueled your animosity towards him." Sai huffed slightly. " Though you coming all the way out here to find me was unnecessary, same goes with healing my hand. However, both things are very appreciated." Sai felt his face heat up as Itachi turned away from him and walked to his parked car. He whistled a little making the other wolf snap out of his stupor and follow Itachi into the car.  
-

**BACK TO OUR LOVLIES!**

Kiba felt as though he was going to vomit. Everything had been going so well up until this point but now as the moon hung heavily in the sky, he felt like every cell in his body was on fire and the pain was excruciating. He laid across Shino's lap, breathing heavily and moaning with agony as waves of it just attacked his very nervous system. Kiba rolled onto his side and Shino sighed; Kiba shirt was soaked fully with sweat but his entire was shaking as though he was cold.

Naruto wasn't in much better shape. He was leaning against a tree, his arms wrapped around him as Sasuke rubbed soothing circles into his back. His mouth was next to Naruto's ear, whispering sweet things to the blond to make sure that he was feeling much more than just pain. Sasuke knew the first few times when a wolf changed were the most painful but after these few times Naruto could change whenever he wanted and he wouldn't feel any of the pain.

The blond fell to his knees and started dry heaving; he had already emptied his stomach due to the pain. He was whining with pain and Sasuke was holding him as gently as he could, cursing the virus for being so horrible unbearable at moments like this.

Kiba rolled over so he was using his arms to try and pick himself up, Shino was at his side trying to keep him in one place but the brunette turned his head towards the wolf and growled lowly. His eyes had turned a piercingly yellow, making them illuminate against the dim light surrounding them. Shino growled back at his mate, trying to establish dominance and it made Kiba whine a little. He fell forward with a sudden jerk and Shino could hear the bones in Kiba's body breaking apart and resetting themselves. The wolf had to back away from his mate so he wouldn't get in the way of the transformation.

" Oh God…" Kiba muttered as he felt the bone in his arms snap and elongate, it snapped back together filling the air with sickening crunching sounds. It sounded as though someone was standing around snapping tree branches and the sound alone was enough to cause untold amounts of pain.

The cloth of Kiba's body started to rip apart as his spine grew, cracking and crunching. His body became sickly lithe since the weight was being distributed unevenly throughout. He started to cough and cry out as his body seized on the ground. Thick, brown hair started to sprout from his body as his jaw elongated and snapped into position.

For a moment the only thing Kiba could feel was the horrible amount of pain surging through his body but as soon as he felt the sting, it was gone. He got up on his paws, looking down in complete shock to see that he was no longer a man, but a wolf. He moved shakily at first, not used to the unnaturalness of trying to walk as a wolf. He turned around, seeing Shino sitting behind him, already a wolf. He walked up to him and sniffed. Shino nuzzled Kiba and they rubbed noses affectionately.

" _Okay now that the hard part is out of the way, let's do something fun! LIKE PLAY TAG!" _Naruto said(1) jumping up and down as a wolf. His fur was the same color as his hair, blond. And his big blue eyes seemed more illuminating in the moonlight. Sasuke never thought Naruto could be so beautiful, so majestic. He walked up to his mate and nuzzled him softly.

" _Naruto, I'm at least mostly sure no one wants to play tag with you. Because the last time we played, it turned into Hide and Go Seek, with my penis." _Sasuke stated matter-of-factly. Kiba and Shino stood with disturbed looks on their faces as Naruto started to chase his mate around. Their speed was incredible to Kiba, the only thing that could be see of both of them were blurs of fur.

But Sasuke suddenly stopped, lifting his head towards the sky and making the blond run right into him. They both fell over, a mess of limbs and fur. Kiba laughed at the two of them but then noticed Shino was doing the same thing as Sasuke before he was knocked over. He wondered why Naruto hadn't done the same thing since he was connected to the Alpha. And for that matter, wasn't he supposed to be hearing things?

Shino started to growl lowly as he strode up to Sasuke, who was shaking angrily. _" Sasuke, we need to go."_

" _I agree. It'll be faster if we run anyway, and this way you can get through the awkwardness of introducing Kiba to my brother." _Sasuke muttered as he nudged Naruto with his nose. _" You got the message too, right?"_

" _Message? What message?" _Naruto asked, completely confused about what was going on. He shakily got to his feet and shook himself as a means of loosening his muscles. _" Ugh, has anyone ever told you that running into you is like hitting a wall?"_

" _I guess that message was for males only but if this information Itachi is passing around is true, then it would probably be best if we brought Naruto and Kiba with us." _Shino nodded. _" Alright, we need to head out. All of you need to follow me."_

" _But why? I don't understand what's going on!" _Kiba yelled, he was completely frustrated at this point. He had just changed into a wolf and now everyone was on edge like something big just happened, and it wasn't something he knew about since he couldn't hear the damn Alpha.

" _I'll explain on the way."_ Sasuke muttered. He took off into the forest and the three other wolves followed after him.  
-

**1. No, they aren't really talking. They're actually speaking to each other in their minds. **

**Anyway, I'm glad this chapter is done so I can get some sleep and read other fanfiction! Hurray!**

**Kiba: You could have easily made this longer if you hadn't been reading so much...  
Me: Ehehehe. No I wanted to start the drama, I've been holding back on it a lot so relationships and character development could be seen.  
Kiba: But that stuff is boring.  
Shino: But important.  
Kiba and Me: But extremely boring! This was Hitoko-sama**


	8. Chapter 7

**Finally, another chapter! Sorry for the slow updates…I know it must be extremely annoying but whatever! I hope this makes up for the intense slowness. Regular PV  
-**

Sasuke led the wolves out of the meadow and up into the forest. Luckily he knew the area enough to where he could weave in and out of the forest and get to his home to where his brother was holding the meeting. His hair was on end as he ran, he just couldn't believe what his brother told him, it was almost preposterous to him. Orochimaru was alive. Somehow, he had managed to survive and no one had noticed him slipping away with those kinds of injuries. Sasuke growled lowly to himself.

" _SASUKE!" _Naruto called to him. _" When are you going to explain what the hell is going on? We've been running for almost a half an hour straight and you haven't said a word!" _

Sasuke knew it to be true. He had promised that he would explain things but he almost didn't know how to address it without striking fear into Naruto and Kiba's hearts, especially since Kiba didn't even know there was another wolf targeting him. And this news had more than likely upset Shino to the point where he wouldn't want to comfort or be around Kiba for awhile. Which would leave Kiba even more vulnerable to attack. Sasuke snorted. Things were getting more and more complicated as time went on.

" _Orochimaru is alive. It has been confirmed by some of the Elder Wolves and Itachi himself. My brother is requesting the wolves to gather so we can have an official meeting about it." _Sasuke glanced to the side at Shino who looked at his Beta and nodded his head. _" There's been a wolf following you, Kiba."_

" _What?" _Kiba asked, completely exasperated. He slowed until he came to a full stop, making the other three pause in their movements as well. _" Who is it? How long have they been following me? Are they around now?"_

" _Kiba, calm down. I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I scared the wolf off when I met up with him at your house." _Shino said, walking back to Kiba and nosing him a little to show a little bit of affection. Kiba jumped away from him, snapping his jaws and growling at them.

" _THE WOLF KNOWS WHERE I LIVE?" _Kiba snapped a snarl coming to his muzzle. They could all tell that Kiba wasn't taking the news well but they had been expecting this. He was using his anger to mask the fear he was feeling. And they knew it was a trying time for him, just having Transformed and then having this bombshell dropped on him was not exactly the best for his stress level.

" _Sasuke…"_ Naruto muttered hesitantly, looking over at his mate and the wolf nodded a little. This was what Sasuke had been trying to avoid. Rage; any newly Transformed wolf could get it, especially when put through a good deal of stress.

Kiba's eyes shifted from a haunting yellow color to crimson as soon as Shino started to approach him. Shino took a couple steps back, awaiting an attack from Kiba but when the wolf didn't come, he relaxed his guard, only a little. Kiba snapped his jaws at them and watched them all carefully. Naruto was going to move towards his friend but Sasuke cut him off by standing in front of him. Sasuke was growling lowly in his throat, his ears flat to his head as he slowly approached Kiba. His body was lower to the ground as he moved almost if he was stalking prey. Kiba took a step back and also lowered his body, growling and snarling at the approaching wolf.

Shino knew what he had to do. While Kiba was distracted, he got behind him and jumped onto his back, biting the scruff of his neck and lowering him to the ground. Kiba whined and yelped trying to shake Shino off but the bite was too strong to break.

" _Sasuke, Naruto, go on ahead. We'll catch up to you. I'm going to calm Kiba down first. It would be bad if he caused us all to be late." _Naruto glanced at Sasuke who relaxed his stance and nodded. He turned around, nosing Naruto to make him go forward and leave the two wolves to work out the issues.

When Shino couldn't see either Naruto or Sasuke anymore, he let go of Kiba's neck but still remained on top of him, to keep him from chasing after the two other wolves. Kiba was still writhing underneath him, trying to get Shino off of him but it wasn't nearly as severe as earlier, his body was starting to become tired and he knew that if he gave it a few more minutes, Kiba would have fully exhausted himself.

And Shino was right, Kiba continued to struggle until his body went completely limp and was he panting underneath him. His eyes started to fade back from red and he laid there, completely docile. Shino sniffed a little, now the fear was coming up from the smaller wolf's body in waves. He was trembling a little and Shino remove himself from Kiba's body, allowing him to sit up. Kiba whined at the other wolf and he walked over to him, nuzzled him a little. Shino sighed a little and nuzzled him back. He had wanted to tell Kiba much earlier about the wolf but he didn't want him to freak out like he just had. He should have never given the signal for Sasuke to tell him, it would have better been discussed behind closed doors.

" _What's going to happen now? With that wolf following me…I'm never going to feel safe. And he knows where I live, my entire family is in jeopardy." _Kiba whined and he looked down at the grass, unable to look Shino in the eye. The other wolf licked Kiba's face, bringing it up so he could look at him.

" _I won't let anything happen to you, Kiba. You have to believe me. I would rather die than let that wolf get his hands on you. I promise that I'll protect you with every fiber of my being even if worse come to worse. If you want, I'll never leave your side. I'll patrol your house every night, risking my health and safety for yours. I'll follow your family and make sure that they won't ever be harmed, if that is your wish." _Shino said with a completely serious tone to his voice. Kiba's stomach was doing cartwheels as he heard that and it made his entire body feel warm with relief. _" Kiba, for now, I can only offer you this promise. I will explain everything that I know later, but for now…We need to go meet up with Sasuke and Naruto. We're extremely close now and I'm sure you'll get more than a few answers when we arrive at the meeting grounds." _

Kiba nodded his head and they set off again. After running for a few minutes they came to a road, one of the main roads next to the Uchiha manor. Kiba had remembered seeing it on one of the few occasions when he had gone over to Sasuke's house to do a project or hang out. Which had been awkward then but in Kiba mind, would be even more awkward now since they were just going to sit around and do nothing but watch movies. Shino looked around and then took a deep breath, his body quickly reverting back to normal. Kiba watched as Shino stood there in all of his naked glory and then wondered, how was he supposed to transform back into his old self.

" The trick is to picture yourself in your human body and just go with the feeling you get. Don't be fearful of it, just let it happen." Shino muttered as he looked at Kiba.

The wolf nodded, closing his eyes and picturing his reflection in the mirror. In his mind he could see himself flexing his non-existing pecks and looking at his body. He felt a prickling sensation on his skin and instantly wanted to shake it off since it was actually tickling him with strange pin pricks but he assumed this was the feeling Shino was talking about. He kept completely still as he continued to picture himself. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on his feet, and Shino was smirking at him slightly. He was happy when he was able to do it but then realized that he was now nakedly standing in front of the wolf. A flush gathered on his features.

" Come on, there will be clothes inside." Shino said as he walked forward into the street. Kiba followed after him, almost trying to use him as a shield to hide his naked body. But he noticed that there were wolves everywhere, all Changing into humans again and just walking nakedly without shame. All of them seemed to let Shino pass, almost bowing to him as he passed them. He got up to the door and knocked in a pattern. The door opened and a man with robes was standing there, he handed one to Shino and, after sniffing Kiba for a few seconds, handed him one as well. They put them on as they walked and it seemed that the house was buzzing with life and it was all gathering at a door that seemed to head down to the basement. The path cleared a little as the other wolves saw Shino.

" What's going on? Why is everyone moving out of the way?" Kiba asked as he felt Shino grasp his hand. He had a feeling it was because Shino didn't want him getting lost in the crowd but also had a feeling that it was because he just wanted touch Kiba. Shino pulled him forward and placed him at his side, putting an arm around his shoulder.

" It's because I'm a Gamma and have a higher rank in this clan. I would do the same if Sasuke or Itachi were walking behind me. It is protocol; we must let the more important wolves attend to their business first. And since they know you as my mate, they will show you the same respect. Same thing goes with Naruto and Itachi's mate, when he takes one." Shino muttered as they walked down the stairs together, which was proving to be slightly difficult since they were walking side by side. The stairs were a tight fit and Kiba was rubbing his hip against the railing as they walked down. He thought about shoving Shino into his railing and hogging up the entire stairwell but he thought that Shino would only shove him back and it would be even more uncomfortable for him.

When they finally stepped foot on the basement, Kiba was awe struck. It was a beautiful area, covered with tapestries of wolves and their transformations. Some of the woven wolves' eyes glittered like jewels and made them even more striking. The whole room was littered with books, covering shelves upon shelves, giving the room a hint of sophistication. He looked over towards the front of the room and saw Sasuke and Naruto sitting together on a large wooden chair that rested next to a large podium where a man who looked much like Sasuke sat; his face seemed hard with concealed emotion but it didn't make him any less beautiful. Shino directed Kiba towards them and they took a seat on the other side of Sasuke, who was almost nervously stroking Naruto's head. The blond didn't seem to mind and let his mate continue.

Kiba looked up at the wolf at the podium. He could assume that was Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. He had never seen him when he had taught at their high school because he was still flunking Advanced Algebra and wouldn't make it all the way to Pre-cal, which one of the two things he was teaching. The other had been Calculus and when Kiba had heard about Sasuke's brother teaching such classes, he instantly assumed that Itachi had been a genius, just like Sasuke. It was one thing to learn Calculus, but teaching was a completely different.

The wolves all settled down, quieting themselves as Itachi looked up at them from the podium. He glanced down at Sasuke and Shino, almost to make sure the two of them were there. " Good," He said finally, " everyone who should be here, is here and with a few extras. But that's to be expected." The wolves seemed completely at attention as he spoke and even Kiba felt himself hanging off his words. There was a pull about him, a certain power that made him want to just sit at his feet and listen to him speak for hours on end. " I've sent a message to the males and some females in this pack. But the real message was sent to my Beta and Gammas. Sai, come forward and tell the pack what you've learned from the scene."

Sai moved from the other side of the podium to the front of it, coming to stand in front of it. He looked around the room and the wolves were staring back at him expectantly. " My fellow wolves, we have made a startling discovery. The wolf named Orochimaru is not dead, he has returned and is more than likely trying to threat our pack."

There was an uproar of howls and snarls when Sai stopped talking. Some of the wolves were on their feet, shouting up at Itachi who was looking down at the uproar with slight disapproval.

" We must stop him, my Alpha!" One cried.

" Allow us to fight for you, my Alpha!" Another yelled getting to their feet and balling their fists. His head rose and he stared at Itachi's face with such admiration and love that it was almost pathetic.

Itachi held up his hand up and the wolves all silenced themselves and sat down. They were all sitting at attention again and it almost fascinated Kiba to see someone watching another person with such focus.

" For now, I'm just telling you to keep yourselves focused. We have no information on where Orochimaru resides and what his true intentions are, we can only speculate. I will not allow you to go off into battle unless we all are ready. And I'm also a firm believer in having a plan, I will not have my clan slaughtered because of our haste. I also still have to inform the other Elders of Orochimaru's presence in case he is going to go after them again." Itachi said and the other wolves nodded. " My pack, please be patient and let things slowly work themselves out. Don't be too hasty and try to protect my name just because you encounter someone in Orochimaru's forces. Is that understood?"

" Yes, My Alpha." They all seemed to say in unison.

" The meeting is adjourned, return home to your mates and enjoy the rest of the full moon while it lasts." They all howled and started moving around, heading back up the stairs.

" Wow, that was a lot shorter than I expected…" Kiba muttered and Shino shrugged.

" He was just getting the word out, it would have been longer if he had a plan or more information about the situation. Since he doesn't know much, the meeting will be kept short so there are no useless speculations being thrown around. Itachi doesn't want to cause a massive stir among the wolves because they will start fights and will lay down their lives to protect Itachi. I was actually surprised he didn't give an order about it." Shino said as he stood up. Kiba got to his feet as well and then looked over at Sasuke and Naruto who were still cuddling on their chair. Well, it was more like Naruto was struggling to get up and Sasuke was forcefully cuddling him.

" It was useless to give that order." Kiba turned towards the podium where the Uchiha was coming down. His steps were graceful and he seemed completely calm, despite the fact that everyone else seemed to be in an uproar about what was happening. " They're extremely obedient to me when it comes to battle decisions. They trust me very much after I was able to lead them successfully through our last scuffle with the vampire clans." Itachi said as he came to stand in front of Shino; they nuzzled a 'hello' and when Itachi stepped closer to Kiba, they did the same. " Even now, you're newly Changed mate can feel his obligations to obey me. You were staring at me the entire time when I was speaking, it is a desirable trait in a wolf. We need straight obedience otherwise our foundation will crumble and we will be easily defeated."

" Itachi," Sasuke stood up then, letting Naruto go, much to the Uchiha's disappointment. " what exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime? Are we just going to wait for Orochimaru to make his next move?"

Itachi sighed then. " Unfortunately, that is the safest thing to do. I have a feeling that if Orochimaru knows that I know he's alive, he'll want to show off to me even more. Get my attention focused on him. And then in his flashiness, screw up at some point. He will be vulnerable at that moment and we have to be ready."

" So, you're going to use yourself as bait…" Sasuke said in an almost disgustedly sad tone.

" I have to protect my pack, Sasuke. And if I have to, I will dangle myself in Orochimaru's face to get him to attack. I will bring him down this time even if I have to give my own life in the process, which is why I've made certain decisions." Itachi said as he stared at Sasuke. " My Beta, you will be acting as Alpha in my absence as I go to gather information. This is an order and you are not allowed to refuse. I've picked you for your natural leadership abilities and the fact that the wolves respect you almost as much as they respect me, little brother. Do not disappoint me." Itachi stepped away from Sasuke then, leaving the other Uchiha in shock as he stood there. When he finally regained his composure, he grabbed Itachi's arm and pulled him back.

" You're expecting to die, aren't you? You've practically trained me to take over in case something happens, and is this it, isn't it? The moment where you go off and selflessly give your life to bring down Orochimaru. Well, if that is the case, as Alpha, I will not allow you to go alone."

Itachi smirked a little and then poked Sasuke in the forehead, making Sasuke cover the spot on his head with his hand. He started pouting a little as he rubbed the mark unconsciously. He looked back at Itachi who was looking up and out of the basement at the people who were still around in the living room by the door of the basement. " You jump to too many conclusions about my actions. I will not be going alone, I plan on brining Sai with me as I gather information, so rest your weary mind with that. I also do not plan on dying, I will not let you have my position so easily little brother; you'll have to work harder than that."

Sasuke seemed to be calmed by that and nodded his head. Itachi patted his head like one would to a good dog and gave him a small nuzzle before heading up the stairs with Sai following behind him. " I'll keep in touch." Itachi added as he disappeared into the crowd of wolves.

" Sasuke, you've gained a huge amount of responsibility…" Shino muttered and the Uchiha turned to look at him. " What exactly are you going to do with it, My Alpha?"

" For now, I'm going to do as Itachi said and keep everyone from doing things they will regret. Until I hear otherwise, I won't say anything to the pack. But in a few days time, if Itachi hasn't returned, I'm going to announce my temporary position as Alpha." -

**Elsewhere**

Orochimaru smirked a little as he watched Itachi. He had passed down his position to his more than adorable, little brother. It had been a seemingly smart move on his part, separate himself from the pack and leave himself in the open so Orochimaru would come running to get him. But the wolf knew that Itachi was far more powerful than he seemed and could easily defeat him since it would be a one on one Alpha fight. Orochimaru decided that for now, he would just sit and wait, watching Itachi and all the moves he was making. It would prove to be more than entertaining.

" My Lord, forgive me for the interruption." Orochimaru turned his head towards the person pulling him away from the delectable Uchiha, a frown on his face. But he quickly smirked when he saw it was his own Beta, Kabuto.

" Ah, Kabuto. It is no problem that you've interrupted. I was just watching my favorite wolf struggle in his decisions." Orochimaru said with a satisfied chuckle.

" I assume then that you appreciate the bit of Warlock magic I was able to snag." Kabuto said in regards to the crystal ball that sat on a pillow in front of his Alpha. The wolf nodded his head with a wicked smirk on his face. He took his hands off of the crystal and looked over at his Beta expectantly. " I have some unwanted news about the Elder Wolves. They seem sense your presence in the world once more and starting to rally their packs to come searching for our lair. And some of the weaker ones are fleeing with their packs to form stronger alliances."

" I see. But they do not interest me at the moment. I have my eyes set on only one of the Elders for now. And once I have him in my grasps, I won't let him go. No, Kabuto, Itachi is the only Elder we need before assuming power in this world. And then our dreams of eradicating all races except for werewolves will be realized. No more bloodsuckers, no more magic users, no more half-demon, half-human monsters, and especially no more, unimportant, weak, mundanes.(1) The world will be perfect and united under the same rules and loyalty; and I will be the person they worship." Orochimaru said with the most evil glint in his eyes and Kabuto only smirked as he saw that look.

" I will continue to gather information on the Elders and if you so wish, trail Uchiha Itachi." Kabuto said as he bowed to his Alpha. " You cannot keep tabs on him constantly since you still have to fully prepare your army and I will be your eyes and ears, if you believe me capable."

" You're correct, My Beta. Keeping track of Itachi will be our number one priority while I'm building up our army." Orochimaru said. " Do as you see fit and report back to me daily if possible." And with that Kabuto turn on his heel and promptly left the room, leaving Orochimaru to watch over Itachi with a disgusting facsination.  
-

**1. Mundanes are humans. Mundane tends to mean boring or average and if you apply that to humans, it makes sense because they have no amazing abilities compared to the Otherworlders. Also, it is a Cassandra Clare reference because I love the Mortal Instruments. **

**Kiba: Super, another chapter is done and barely any questions were answers.  
Me: Hey Kiba, go fall down. I'm building suspence.  
Shino: The relief wouldn't be as good without mountains of suspence.  
Kiba: I don't care, I want Orochimaru to die and this to be over with.  
Me and Shino: Doesn't work like that.  
Me: Fine Kiba, I promise you that there will be more action in the next chapter. How's that?  
Kiba: You better keep your promise, lady.  
Me: I will, I will. Now calm your pants so Shino can get in them.  
Shino: Now that's what I'm talking about...-molests Kiba-  
Me: Isn't that wonderful? This was Hitoko-sama.  
**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hurray! Another chapter for you and your lovely faces. You're welcome…Regular PV  
-**

The bar was dank and depressing on the outside, it looked as though it hadn't been renovated at all in this century, or at least, that's what the glamour made it appear to look like. They had done this so the humans would be detoured from entering but, with a trained eye, one could see the lavish old wood that seemed to be in pristine condition. The wrought iron bars on the windows and doors were nothing more than an illusion to cover the frost glass that displayed the moon and the rise of the Otherworlders.

The inside was lovely, covering in deep tones of red and browns, giving it a classic feel. The hard wood that made up the bar, walls, and floor even made it acceptable for even the occasional faerie to enter. The music was soft as the murmurs of Otherworlder's mixed into it. They sat in separate sections for the most part; maybe the occasional mix of Vampires and Warlocks but no real intermingling. Two vampires stopped mid-conversation to stare at the door, they could smell the wolves through it; their mixture of wet dog and Wolf's Bane was hard to miss, especially since it was the smell of the enemy. Their fangs started to slip out but they received a warning hiss from a large blue and purple man; his eyes were red and cat-like with slits down the middle. He was a non-magical warlock but, he was obviously still powerful from his large muscular build. He could easily snap the necks of the vampires if they caused any trouble. Even Otherworlder bars needed bouncers.

The two wolves entered, their faces masked with cloaks. Everyone either stared or didn't notice; this was considered a non-fighting ground so if anything did happen, the Otherworlders would take it into their own hands and get rid of the problem. There were few places where feuds between them were forgotten with mixtures of colorful, magical drinks.

One of the vampires turned as the wolves passed their table, his long black hair brushing over his neck as he looked at the two of them. The dark hair passed over his deep purple veins that seemed to stand out over his pale neck and he scowled, looking at his companion, who was glaring at the wolves as they seemed to take a seat in the Vampire section, with one of their own. His sunken in green eyes, hidden by his chestnut hair, took the three of them in with contempt and he snarled a little.

The vampire they sat with also wore a hood to cover up his face, it was for obvious reason; if his clan found out he was associating with wolves, he would no doubt he torn apart for treason. The wolves didn't take off their hoods either; all of the people in the bar seemed to be staring at them now. It was rare to see vampires and wolves sitting together without sensing any evil or feuding auras around it.

"Hm, I thought you'd be alone." The vampire said as he grabbed his hood and lowered it showing his long, fiery red mane of hair. Kyuubi smirked a little as the wolves took off their hoods as well. Itachi and Sai stared back at Kyuubi looking around anxiously.

"Is it okay for you to do that?" Sai asked a little hesitantly as he saw the shinning eyes of other vampires taking him in. "I mean, you aren't exactly a lower ranked vampire."

"We're all shadows here, little wolf." Kyuubi said as he smirked a little. His pointed fangs giving him an almost childish look as they slipped over his lower lip. "My clan has to obey me and I have already proved to them that I am the top vampire there, no one can defeat me. Besides, this is for them too. We cannot allow Orochimaru to keep running around; we need to set petty feuds aside and work together. He isn't just going to go for the wolves, it will be an all out war between him and all the other Otherworlders and Mundanes. The problem is, the mundanes won't know what hit them. We need to protect them the most." A glass of thick, red blood was set down in front of Kyuubi. He grabbed it and took a small drink. Sai felt the urge to vomit rising in the back of his throat but kept it down. Kyuubi, unlike most vampires, was not a blood hungry monster who cared nothing for the lives of humans. Or, that was what Sai had to keep reminding himself.

"What makes you say that?" Sai asked in a questioning tone. "What do you know of Orochimaru's motives?"

"He knows, Sai, because it was Orochimaru's original goal before he disappeared." Itachi stated as he leaned back into the black leather seats. "He was insane, thinking that werewolves are the superior race, to any race, yet, we hide in the shadows until mating season. He thought that was foolish of us and wanted to rise up and take over the world. Putting the spot light on us would also draw out all of our enemies so we could take them all out at once. A suggestion like that would only lead to the destruction of the world, nothing would be left. Plus, we would pull in all the innocent mundanes. All the Elder wolves were against him and that's why he started to slaughter them…"

Sai was silent as he sat there, taking in every piece of information. "I think Orochimaru is building a large clan." Kyuubi said as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded hands. "He's been in hiding for a couple years now and in that time, you can Turn quite a number of people. And there's been a recent stir inside my clan. I heard a couple of them the other day complaining that your clan of werewolves is getting much larger which is impossible because only a few of your wolves don't have mates, the rest are solitary or already mated. Another argued that it wasn't your clan because they didn't smell of the Uchiha pack that this was a pack of rogues. Which is also impossible because rogues never form packs with one another. I asked them what exactly they had seen and they reported that there were wolves, some disfigured, some normal, were inching in on our feeding grounds. I think Orochimaru is trying to box in us vampires so we'll have no other choice but to protect ourselves from them; it'll start spreading around that we're killing wolves so other packs will come in and attack us; he's trying to clear us out. One race at a time, it seems."

Sai felt a pull in his stomach and wondered then if he was going to be sick. Orochimaru was using wolves to start a war, sacrificing them like they were nothing but pawns in a sick game of chess. "Orochimaru's a monster…"

"No, little wolf, we're all monsters." Kyuubi said as he took another drink of the blood. "He's just the best at it."

"Indeed he is." Itachi agreed as he stared at Kyuubi. "If you want, I'll send a message to Sasuke to send out our own wolves to the area and start dealing with the rogues. My pack is well aware that Orochimaru is back and will more than likely fight with the wolves and drive them away. They're itching for blood, I could feel it as soon as I announced it to them."

"No. I won't allow you to sacrifice your pack for my clan; if push comes to shove, we'll leave the area. There needn't be any unnecessary blood shed on that ground. Besides, I don't think my clan will think too highly of themselves if wolves swooped in and saved them. Their hubris(1) will be their downfall."

"Hopefully it will be Orochimaru's as well." Itachi said as he glared a little bit.

A silence passed between the three of them and the buzz of the bar seem to be steadily increase which meant that the attention was being diverted away from them. It was a good thing, no one needed to react on anything they had been saying, it would cause a variety of problem before the real war had even started. Kyuubi sat back for a moment but then tensed a little, looking to the side as a wolf passed by their table. Both Sai and Itachi noticed it but made no motion to look. Itachi's eyes tilted a little taking in the figure of the wolf as he sat at the bar, the seat closest to their table.

"That wolf…" Kyuubi began in hushed tones. "Gave me chills. And I'm dead so that's really saying something."

Itachi sniffed the air a little bit and his eyes widen for only a fraction of a second before he stood up. "Sai." He whispered urgently. "We need to go…_Now_!"

Sai instantly stood up and started to walk through the bar, he didn't increase his speed so no one would be suspicious of them. Itachi put his hand on his shoulder so he wouldn't look back as they walked calmly through the door. But once they were outside, they turned back for a moment and Itachi sniffed again. That wolf was on the move as well. Whoever it was, he was following them. He could tell the wolf had slipped out the back as soon as they walked out but was trying to keep a gap of time and space between them so they wouldn't pick up his scent again but it had already been too late. Itachi's fangs started to form as the wolf appeared from the shadows, his face covered by a hood.

"What do you want from us?" Itachi growled lowly and the wolf only seemed amused because he scoffed audibly.

"That would ruin the fun, wouldn't it?" He said as he approached them; he stood at odds with the two of them. He could not mask the amusement in his stance as he looked at them calmly. "Though, it seems that the fun had ended as soon as you picked up my scent."

"You're one of Orochimaru's underlings…" Itachi muttered. "I could kill you easily yet you show no fear of me. You're either very brave or extremely stupid; now make this easy for me or your blood will run in the streets."

"If you were so set in your threat, I would already be dead." He said as a sphere of light appeared in his hand. He tossed it towards them and Itachi barely had any time to push Sai out of the way before it was right next to them. He laid on top of the other wolf who was moaning due to the fact he got his head slammed on the ground, but he recovered quickly, getting to his feet. He lunged at him but was repelled by a large, red barrier. Sai whined with pain as he skittered across the ground to Itachi's feet. The other wolf leaned down, trying to help his comrade up when yet another sphere was thrown at them. Itachi grabbed Sai and leapt to the side, placing Sai's unmoving body out of harm's way.

"Leave Sai out of this, your fight is with me." Itachi muttered as his claws extended. "Though I've never seen a werewolf who was able to use magic."

"Orochimaru has picked up a few interesting underlings, don't you agree?" The wolf said with a laugh. "But I don't know what he sees in you, you're so bent on protecting your underlings it's almost sickening. A strong Alpha should only care for his own wellbeing."

"You're wrong, a strong Alpha is only strong because of his pack; his life is only for the wellbeing of the pack and their protection. All Alphas that fight for themselves and sacrifice their pack are weak." Itachi said as he morphed into his wolf form. His glistening black fur shone in the moonlight, his yellow eyes leered at the other wolf; he smirked a little, seeing the full beauty of Itachi. The Uchiha ran towards the wolf, dodging the magical sphere with precision and agility. He was atop the other wolf in an instant; he pinned down his arms and howled loudly in his face as pearly white fangs were bared in his face. He bit down on the man's face, ripping skin and the hood away as he went in for a second attack, loosing his grip on the wolf's arms enough to get better leverage, but the pinned wolf was able to move them and stopped Itachi by the same red barrier that repelled Sai.

He skidded backwards, his transformation instantly nullified as he skittered across the road. Itachi growled as he got onto his human feet, wondering how the hell he was changed back. The wolf stood up, laughing a little as he held his bleeding cheek. Itachi had also managed to crack his glasses. "Well, well, never underestimate the power of an Alpha I guess." His gray hair was tied back and slightly stained red with the blood from his face. Itachi had taken a chunk of flesh from his cheek, showing some of his teeth. He smirked though as he brought his hand up to his face, a green light encompassing it. The skin was instantly healed and Itachi's eyes narrowed. He had never seen a wolf do something like that before.

"You're a hybrid wolf…" Itachi muttered as he stared at the wolf before him. He started to laugh a little bit.

"That's right." He said as he bowed a little to Itachi. "Half demon, half wolf. Not quite a Warlock, but not quite a Werewolf." He laughed a little as he stared at Itachi with reddening eyes. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru's Beta. Though, he doesn't quite know of my full magical prowess. I have to have some kind of back-up in case Orochimaru decides to betray me, don't you think?" He quickly got behind Itachi, holding a blade to his throat, making Itachi cease all movement. "I think if I bring you to Orochimaru, he would be quite happy with me."

Itachi ducked within a moment and kicked Kabuto's legs out from underneath him; he grabbed the wolf's arm and threw him to the ground. Itachi got on top of him, pinning his arms down with his knees and grabbing the knife, holding it Kabuto's throat with a vicious snarl on his lips.

"What a predicament. You seem to be quite strong." Kabuto muttered as he struggled to move his arms that were pinned firmly. Unlike last time, there would be no way for him to use them. "And quite beautiful if I do say myself, no wonder Orochimaru desires you so much."

Itachi's eye narrowed a little as he tossed the knife aside; it made a clank as it fell into the sewer grate. His claws extended as he grabbed Kabuto's throat; the nails bit into his skin, making drops of blood fall down his skin and soak his cloak. He smirked a little as he concentrated a good bit of power into his hand. He flicked his wrist a little sending the ball of magic towards Sai, who moaned, turning to the side. Itachi got up in an instant, running over to Sai and taking the sphere for his Gamma. Itachi whimpered loudly as the other wolf's eyes flew open, he sat up shakily staring over to where Itachi laid, blood pouring from his shoulder; a chuck of flesh missing, blood was splattered all over the wall behind Itachi. Sai got to his feet quickly and ran over to his Alpha.

"Itachi, let me help you!" Sai said as he put his hands on Itachi's shoulder. He whined as he removed his hand started to lick the blood away, making the wound heal a little as he continued to clean it.

"Sai, get off of me. The other wolf is still on the attack." Itachi said pushing the other wolf away and getting to his feet. His entire chest was stained with blood and since his clothes were ripped off when he transformed, there was nothing to wrap his shoulder with. Kabuto was on his feet and smirked at Itachi who holding his shoulder with a slight look of agony.

"You look beautiful when you're in pain too." Kabuto said as he launched himself towards them. Sai stepped in front of Itachi, his claws and fangs extended as he growled at the incoming threat but a blur of red passed the two of them. Kyuubi let out a roar as he punched Kabuto in the face, launching him into the air with the sheer strength he possessed. He hit the ground hard enough to crack the asphalt and pavement of the road; he bounced before landing on the other side of the road, struggling very much to get up.

"Sai, heal Itachi. I'll handle this guy." Kyuubi said as he moved with lightning like speed. He jumped up into the air and held out his foot as he landed on Kabuto. The sheer pressure of the hit crumbled the concrete and broke the windows of the surrounding windows. But when Kyuubi looked down, Kabuto was gone. His eyes narrowed as he looked around. He grabbed Kabuto's cloak and a sheet of paper fell out; it was addressed to Itachi. He placed it into his pocket before jogging back to Sai and Itachi; the Alpha was pale as Sai continued to lick and suck at his wound, spitting the blood out. It was black.

"He's been poisoned by the magic." Sai said, the blood on his face black as well as he continued to suck on Itachi's wound.

"Outta my way." Kyuubi said, pushing Sai to the side. He pressed his fangs into Itachi's shoulder, making the wolf cry out with pain but the blackened blood started to dissipate as the wound healed. Kyuubi stood up as Itachi's wound steamed and healed itself. Kyuubi handed Itachi the long cloak on his frame and the Uchiha nodded his thanks as he covered his body. Kyuubi turned away from them for a second before falling to his knees and retching up black blood. He was coughing and choking on it as it came back up but after a few seconds he regained his composure and stood up. "Yep, that blood was definitely poisoned."

Sai nodded a couple times before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out. Itachi caught him with ease and placed him over his uninjured shoulder. "He must have ingested some of the poison when he was cleaning my wound earlier. The next few hours are going to be critical…""Come with me; I know a safe place where we can treat him and rest." Kyuubi said as he headed out into the street, watching for any movement. For right now the three of them were vulnerable; they needed a place to hide to get rid of the poison that was undoubtedly affecting the three of them.  
-

**ELSEWHERE!**

Sasuke bit the side of his thumb as he paced around the meeting room. Itachi had sent him a message two days ago about announcing his resignation as Alpha for the time being. But Sasuke was nervous about saying that he was going to be temporary leader; the pack was exceedingly loyal to Itachi and if they decided that he wasn't fit to lead them, they may revolt against him and try to find Itachi. And that would be detrimental to whatever Itachi was trying to accomplish; if he had the entire pack following after him, nothing would get done. Sasuke sighed loudly as the pack started to file into the meeting room.

Shino put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and directed him towards the podium where Itachi usually sat when he spoke to the pack. Many of the wolves were whispering amongst themselves as they saw Sasuke getting closer to the podium.

"Come on Sasuke." Shino said as he tried to make the Uchiha sit down. "We need a leader and since Itachi isn't here, that means it's you. Itachi has entrusted the pack to you and I know you won't let him down; now quit postponing the inevitable."

Sasuke nodded and sat down drawing the attention of all the wolves. They were all silent, expecting some kind of explanation for the absence of their Alpha. "My fellow wolves, I have some news regarding Itachi." A mumble of words filled the air as the wolves started to discuss what could have possibly happened to their leader. Though, much to Sasuke's surprise, some of the wolves were staring at him with the same admiration and love that they would give Itachi. He could feel himself getting stronger from those choice glances and sat up a little straighter. "Itachi, our Alpha, has temporarily handed me the reigns to the pack."

There was a silence before a loud outcry and Sasuke felt the instant disapproval of his words, even though some had already accepted it. A few very fervent Itachi lovers still remained completely miffed about the words. A few wolves stood up yelling and shouting at Sasuke with folded arms and disapproving eyes.

"You? Alpha? I don't believe it!" One yelled shaking his fist.

"YEAH! Itachi would never give you full control! I want proof!" Another hollered.

"Proof you say?" Sasuke asked as he glanced pointedly at the wolves who were standing in the crowd. They all fell silent as Sasuke procured a letter from his pocket and stepped down from the podium. "Anyone who doubts the truth of my statement, come forward and examine this document with your own eyes. It has Itachi's scent and writing on it." Three wolves stepped out of the crowd seizing the document and looking it over. They all sniffed it and nodded to each other, confirming their thoughts.

"He's telling the truth!" One said as he handed the letter back to Sasuke. "He is our new Alpha…"

"No. I'm only a replacement for Itachi while he's gone." Sasuke said as he stepped back up to the podium and had a seat. "One thing we must all remember is that Itachi has not abandoned us; he is merely absent from our sight. He will be sending me messages and commands from the sidelines until he decides he is ready to come back and share his experiences with us. I will be his eyes and ears; his right hand. I will obey his every whim, no matter how insane because, no matter what, he will always be my Alpha." The wolves hung on Sasuke's every word; he was able to hold them at rapt fascination. "But remember, my orders and decisions will be based on what Itachi has told me. You have to obey me because if you don't, you will not only be ignoring me, but disobeying Itachi. We do not want to disappoint him in his absence, do we?"

"No way!" One wolf said with a fist pump to accompany his words. "But…Is our Alpha alone? I mean it's kinda dangerous now with Orochimaru and all…And we don't even know where he is, so we can't exactly help him if he gets in trouble."

"Indeed." Sasuke said. "Even I don't know where Itachi is at the moment but I wouldn't worry. He didn't leave alone. He brought Sai with him and we all know that Itachi is far more than capable of handling anything that comes his way so, until I hear otherwise, we shall not worry about him. He is our mighty Alpha, one of the Elder Wolves."

There was much cheering in the crowd as Sasuke spoke highly of Itachi. He was trying to get them to put their doubts aside and accept that Itachi was going to be fine without them. But the question remained in Sasuke mind, though he had everyone else convince otherwise, would they be able to cope without him? Sasuke had never really lead any of the wolves before so this was a huge amount of responsibility being laid on him by his brother. And there was always the added strain that they were vulnerable without Itachi's leadership, especially if Orochimaru decided to attack them. They may have a large number of wolves but without proper guidance, it wouldn't mean anything.

Sasuke may have not know the answer to that question now but, he knew that he would at least be able to convince the others he did. His speculations only brought hesitation and fear and a truly good leader never showed that on his face. Sasuke sat there stoic as a stone and Shino couldn't help but think that he looked like a miniature version of their Alpha.  
-

**Back to Itachi and Sai and our favorite Vampire, Kyuubi :D**

Kyuubi was sitting on the edge of the bed their host had been kind enough for Sai to use. He was dipping a cloth in cool water and placing it on Sai's very heated forehead; his cheeks were flushed with fever as well. The poison was wrecking havoc in his system causing the wolf to vomit, sweat, and hallucinate. He was lucky that he was a werewolf though, any mundane would have been much worse off at this point, probably already dead.

There was a knock at the door and Kyuubi grunted his acknowledgement as he still tended to Sai. He felt that if he left the boy, his condition would take a turn for the worst within moments, even if he knew it wasn't true. He believed it to be the big brother instinct in him. A female warlock with a large bust and blond hair walked in; the only abnormal thing about her was the blue diamond in the middle of her forehead but most would think it was just a tattoo. She was carrying two bottles; one, from the smell, Kyuubi determined, was sake. The other was an unknown but as soon as she placed it on the small side table next to the bed, he knew it to be medicine.

Kyuubi looked up at her with a smile. "I really appreciate you taking us in like this Tsunade. I don't doubt that he would be much worse off without your magic."

"I agree." She said with a blunt tone and a shrug. "Though, I've never seen a unique poison in my life. It seems that it lays dormant until it can crack the host's immunity system, which must be pretty quick because Otherworlder's have much strong immune systems than humans; you're actually lucky you're a vampire. The poison only caused you to vomit it back up. For this and the other wolf, I had to actually make an antidote. The other one is much luckier than this one though, he didn't ingest anything."

"So Itachi's okay then?" Kyuubi muttered to himself with a slight smile. "That's good."

"Make him drink that entire bottle and let him rest up; if I'm correct, he should be feeling much better after he gets a good night's rest."

"Thank you for everything Tsunade…" She just nodded and headed back towards the door. Though she paused in the door way, tapping her closed fist on the frame before looking back at the red haired vampire who was opening the bottle.

"Werewolves huh?" Tsunade said with a pointed glance towards Kyuubi. "I never thought I would see the day where you two groups would get along, let alone help each other."

"TImes are changing Tsunade, we can't let petty feuds slow down the new generation." Kyuubi said as he shook Sai gently, attempting to wake him. It wasn't working. "I do not wish to bring new vampires into this world if there is going to be nothing more than bloodshed and death waiting for them; Itachi feels the same so we have called a truce and become friends."

"Ha. I see." She said as she walked out. "May your choice not end the world."

Kyuubi shook his head a little as he sat Sai up. The wolf blinked his eyes, coughing and moaning as he shut his eyes quickly. The light was stinging his eyes like no other so Kyuubi got up and shut off the lights, making it more comfortable for the wolf. He returned to the bed and placed his hand behind Sai's back to support him. "Here." He said handing Sai the bottle of medicine. "This will help destroy the poison still remaining in your body."

Sai was silent as he drank the medicine but made a face as he finished it. He coughed a little and black gunk covered his hand. Kyuubi grabbed the hand towel he had been using to wipe down the sweat from Sai's body and handed it to the wolf so he could clean up a little. He nodded his thanks and grimaced a little as he the removed the black ooze from his palm and fingers. Sai suddenly got a dreamy look in his eye and laid back down suddenly. Kyuubi felt his face with both hands and the wolf sighed contentedly. "You're so cold."

"I am dead…" He muttered as he cupped Sai's face, trying to comfort him as best as he possibly could.

"I can see why Itachi loves you." Kyuubi froze a little as Sai smiled sadly. "You're kind, funny, and you care about things you don't have to. And it doesn't hurt that you're kinda hot."

"The only thing hot around here is you, little wolf. You're burning up, so shut up and go to bed will ya? You're delusional." Sai chuckled a little and tossed the blanket on his body to the side. The sheet underneath him was drenched in sweat but he didn't seem to mind because within a few moments he had fallen asleep again.

"How are things going?" Itachi asked as he entered the room. Kyuubi stood up and shrugged a little; Sai's words weighing heavily on his mind. He knew that he was in love with Itachi and that, at the very least, Itachi liked him, but love? He wasn't so sure about. He glanced back at the sleeping wolf, thanking whatever god there was that he couldn't blush anymore.

"Fine. Tsunade gave him so medicine for the poison and he fell back asleep." Kyuubi said and Itachi nodded a little. The wolf had taken a quick shower to clean himself of the poisonous black ooze that covered his shoulder. It had been what Tsunade took a sample of and used to counteract the poison in Sai's body. "How are you feeling now? Better?"

"Where you bit me still hurts but I think that's mostly due to the Vampire venom reacting with my Werewolf virus. I forgot how much it stings when they try to fight it out." Itachi muttered rubbing his shoulder a little. "But, I should be better by morning. Nothing to worry about."

"Technically there's a lot to worry about; your shoulder just isn't at the top of your list." Itachi smiled a little at that. Kyuubi always did that, always brightened the mood no matter what. It was one of the things Itachi liked most about him; he was always positive. Itachi stepped closer to the vampire and their lips met briefly.  
-

**1. Hubris- Another word for pride. **

**And that's where I'm stopping this!**

**Kiba: This chapter was all about Itachi!  
Me: I know...So what? Cool stuff happened!  
Kiba:...  
Me: What? What's wrong?  
Kiba: Are you okay? You sound like a man.  
Me: I MAY have a tiny, little cold. Nothing to worry about.  
Kiba: HAHAHA! You sound so funny!  
Me: SHUT UP! IT'S MY STUFF NOSE!  
Shino: Almost as funny as when you sounded like Orochimaru when you lost your voice.  
Me: THAT WAS A HARD TIME FOR ME!  
Shino: Sure, whatever. This was Hitoko-sama.  
**


	10. Chapter 9

**And then the gods said to Hitoko-sama "YOU SHALL WRITE!" And It was brought upon her to write more about everyone's favorite werewolves, and so she set out upon her journey to write and it was accomplished. She just hopes that everyone enjoys it and that it will be in Regular PV because it's fun to be omniscient. -**

Kiba felt secure for the first time in the past few days. Sure Shino had dropped him off about an hour ago and it was slightly painful to be apart from him, even if it was going to be a few hours before he would see him again. But Kiba was finally home, finally somewhere that made sense. He could finally take the time to sit alone and think about all that had happened to him in last few days and attempt to make sense of it, even though he doubted he could. It was a great deal of information to process. He locked the door after kicking off his shoes by the door, making enough noise for Akamaru to get off of his spot on the sofa to see what was going on.

Akamaru jumped on Kiba as a greeting, licking his face and whining with happiness. He hadn't seen Kiba in hours and the separation had been making the dog anxious. Kiba was happy too though, it was the first time he had seen anything canine that wasn't actually a human infected with a virus. It was relieving. He picked himself off the ground since, in Akamaru's excitement, he had knocked Kiba to the floor. His large size made that happen quite often. Kiba smiled a little as he whistled silently so the dog would follow him up the stairs. His parents and sister were undoubtedly asleep and he really did not want to wake them up now; they would ask questions about where he'd been. He had never been particularly good at lying, his mother said he had a tell that she would never announce to him.

He snuck up the stairs as quietly as he possibly could, cursing silently when one of the stairs would creak or groan under his weight. It was annoying and made him jumpy. Though he was mostly sure his family could sleep through the end of the world or at least an extremely large, loud parade, which would probably be bad if they ever got robbed; it was never a mystery to Kiba as to why they had so many dogs.

Kiba flopped down on his bed, sighing with relief as the comfortable mattress came up to greet him. He had had a rough few days and now that his transformation was out of the way, he had nothing to do now but to mate with Shino…

Kiba shot up in his bed and looked down at Akamaru who was sleeping at the foot, wagging his tail. He had completely forgotten about that step of the whole wolf ritual, and to be frank, he hadn't been looking forward to it. Sure, he liked Shino and he was feeling a much deeper connection to him now than he had been before but he really did not want to go as far as to sleep with him.

"I'm not gay!" Kiba angrily muttered to himself as he laid back down heatedly. His head was caught in cradling, soft pillows and it couldn't help but remind Kiba of how well Shino had treated him when he was transforming. There was such a caring to his touch that sent a slight heat through his entire body. "NO! WHY AM I THINKING THAT!" He covered his face with a pillow and shook his head vehemently. "Of course when I'm with him I feel all bubbly and spacey but alone I can get a grasp on my thoughts…His touch just jumbles my brain!" Kiba muttered, mostly to himself but also slightly to Akamaru. "I mean, is it so bad that I may have a small, tiny, miniscule crush on another guy?" Akamaru snorted a little and Kiba sat up, giving the dog a small glare. "What's that supposed to mean?" Akamaru snorted again and the brunette just shook his head. "I'm talking at my dog about a werewolf, oh boy, I think I've finally gone off the deep end." Kiba chuckled a little feeling a strange anxiety in his chest. Maybe he was crazy, and all of this was a hallucinate brought on by the medications he was being given in a psyche ward. Kiba wished that to be true, it would be a lot easier than dealing with the life he was currently leading.

He sighed a little and turned towards his alarm clock, flicking the switch so it would actually wake him up in the morning. He couldn't rely on Akamaru to do everything; it wasn't his job to wake him up anymore, since he mysteriously would make him up late everyday after a couple years. Kiba yawned and rolled on his side, facing the window. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to let the confines of sleep grasp onto him and drag him down into the depths of blackness where his mind and body could recover all at once. But the problem with that was getting to that certain point, he had a problem relaxing his mind enough so he could sleep. Everything had a habit of buzzing around his mind and distracting him to the point where he would toss and turn, thinking about different ways to approach situations, and the embarrassments he had faced that day, it all distracted him from sleep; besides the nights where he couldn't just get his mind to shut off and he would go through one of his insomnia phases.

Kiba sat up a little bit, there was something about this situation that didn't sit quite right with him; it reminded him too much of his sleepless nights where Shino would be sitting outside on his front lawn. Kiba chuckled a little bit and got up from his bed, looking out the window. He wasn't expecting anything since Shino had initiated the mating ritual and he knew for a fact that Kiba would want some personal space after tonight. When he finally glanced out the window, Kiba froze a little, seeing that there was in fact a wolf standing outside on his lawn, but this one, this one wasn't Shino. It was someone else.

Kiba almost screamed with terror as the wolf glanced up at the window, smirking at him with such ferocity that it made his blood run cold in his veins. Then it was gone, the wolf had practically up and disappeared. Kiba looked around the lawn noticing a swish of silver fur by his front door. His breathing relaxed a little, he had locked the front door…Kiba paused in all motion when he heard rustling coming from downstairs, just because he had locked the front door didn't necessarily mean that the black, sliding glass door had been locked. He rushed out of his room to the top of the stairs. He glanced down and the air clutched his windpipe as the fear brought tears to the corners of his eyes; the wolf was standing in his living room, growling and making his dogs cower into submission. The wolf's jaws snapped once, releasing a bark that chilled Kiba's heated flesh. He ran back into his room, slamming the door and locking it. The wolf was coming up the stairs, it was coming.

The tapping of claws against hardwood made Kiba shake and he could only think of one thing to do; jump out his window. Surely some of his werewolf powers would cushion the fall. He threw it open sliding onto the ledge as claws buried deeply into the wood of his door, cracking and chipping away the now too thin barrier between him and this new, fearsome wolf. Kiba looked down at the ground, gulping at the sight of the ground, seeming to be so far away from where he was at that current moment. He had never been particularly fearful of heights but of course he had never had to jump out of a two story house before. It was much different than riding a roller coaster or something of that matter. He saw a small hole starting to form in his door as Akamaru continuously barked and growled; it wasn't helping the stress of the situation. If he jumped now the wolf would realize he was gone and come out looking for him. Kiba took a deep breath and jumped out of the window as the wolf slammed the door open; he had never been happier his family could sleep through the end of the world.

Kiba landed on his feet with an almost cat-like grace silently thanking Shino for Turning him. He didn't doubt that if he had tried that as a normal person it wouldn't have worked. Kiba wasted no time when he saw the silver wolf growling at him from the window; he started to run, run faster than he ever thought possible. But he stopped dead cold in his tracks when he saw a second silver wolf appear from behind the trees of his neighbors lawn. He barely had time to turn before the wolf lunged at him; its claws tore the fabric of Kiba's shirt and seemed to knock the wind out of him simultaneously. The wolf snapped its jaw a few times as it glanced back at Kiba, a sick sense of amusement covering its eyes as it stared at him.

"Sakon, quit toying with him. I don't want to be chasing him down all night." Kiba's vision shifted to the werewolf standing behind him, the other changed into his human form. These wolves were twins; both had gray-blue hair and dark turquoise lips, Kiba noted with a sudden realization of how good his senses were, even in the dark of the night. The one who had just changed was smirking at him.

"But it's so fun to watch him squirm Ukon. He gets such an adorable face when he's scare, though with that kind of girly look it makes me wonder what kind of man he is; a real man would stand his ground." Kiba's eyebrow twitched with anger. All the fear he had in his body left him in that moment; had they not seen him manly just out of that window not even a few minutes ago?

"That's kind of an ironic statement coming from a man who goes a little to heavy on the make-up, don't you think?" It was Sakon's turn to twitch when he heard that statement from Kiba's lips. Though, he did like them sassy.

"Oh this one's got quite the mouth on him; you sure know how to pick 'em Sakon." Ukon was smirking at his brother's anger flustered face and Kiba wasn't sure but they seemed to have some kind of unspoken argument going on between them; their eyes kept drifting back to Kiba and it became more than apparent that he wouldn't be able to out maneuver both of them, especially if he tried to escape while in between the two of them. But it was worth a shot.

Kiba elbowed Ukon who grunted and stumbled backwards giving Kiba enough room to slip between the two of them. He started down the street but didn't get very far before both of the wolves raced along side of him; they were playing with him, knowing full well that he couldn't outrun them in his human form and they even seemed to know that he wasn't going to be able to change into his wolf form either. He stopped suddenly making the wolves peel out into the road as Kiba darted back to his house, when he got to his front door he mentally cursed himself; he had locked that door.

"_Shino…Shino please…SAVE ME!" _He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked back to see both of the brothers smirking down at him. The one without the red beads around his neck was panting harshly looking at the other with a small bit of need in his eyes and he nodded. Kiba was disgusted and amazed by what he saw; they were fusing their bodies together, becoming one person.

"The werewolf virus is such a marvelous thing, don't you think?" Kiba's shook with fear as they approached him; he could still see the completely functional other head looking at him with such a terrifying look of desire that he started to shake again. Kiba didn't know why he wasn't trying to defend himself, he wouldn't take this shit if it had been anyone else, but this person, there was something so…Petrifying about them that it actually paralyzed his limbs.

"Humans…They're so cute when they're scared…No wait, you're no longer human. No matter, you will be mine human or not." Sakon muttered as he leaned in grabbing Kiba's face with a clawed hand; the nails bit into Kiba's skin causing red droplets to run down his chin. He had acted so tough at first, where the hell did his backbone go? Kiba growled a little as he reeled back his fist and connected it squarely in Sakon's face, sending him flying across the front lawn. He rolled across the lawn and spit the blood pooling in his mouth. He had forgotten the number one rule with deal with animals; never back them into a corner because they will fight even if it means dying in the process. Ukon grunted as Sakon flipped onto his stomach and slowly got to his feet.

"Sakon, if you want that guy, go get him. I'm tired of his sudden bursts of strength. End this now, I wish to rest." Sakon glanced back at his brother and nodded; though he loved toying with people Kiba's sudden bursts of strength were becoming very annoying indeed. He liked it much better when he seemed completely hopeless and scared into paralysis.

"Yeah, yeah, quit your bitching I had already planned on it." He muttered as he started to sniff the air; Kiba had bolted towards the backdoor, which was still open. "He's a wily one, don't you think?"

"I don't care. Just finish this." Ukon scolded, it was just like his brother to waste so much time. Sakon scoffed a little and ran after Kiba noticing the boy was at the back door but having a hell of a time trying to open it. Sakon smirked; he had planned for this. He locked the door after he entered house just in case Kiba managed to get outside; he didn't want to have to chase Kiba through the house only to end up back outside, besides, what would Kiba's parents think if he was kidnapped by a wolf? The thought was absurd and though Orochimaru said that it was time to make their presence known, he still wanted to keep a low profile incase Kiba's mate came sniffing around for clues to his whereabouts.

Kiba sighed with exasperation; it hadn't worked. Nothing was working. It was making him feel so hopeless and useless; there seemed to be no way to defeat this guy or his freaky brother. "You're not getting away this time…"

"No, you're not getting away!" Shino dropped down from Kiba's roof landing squarely on Ukon and knocking both of them to the ground. Kiba could have fainted with joy; he had never been so happy to see Shino. He rushed out, without thinking, and grabbed onto Shino's body. It was like he had heard him calling, Shino knew that Kiba needed to be saved. He couldn't have been more thankful. "There's nothing more shameful than a wolf who doesn't respect the ethics of mating. Kiba is my mate and there's nothing, especially not you, that will be able to separate us." Shino snapped, a low growl forming in the base of his throat. "I would rather die than see him with you."

"That can be arranged." Sakon muttered as he extended his claws; Shino did the same, pushing Kiba off of him and to the side so he wouldn't get hurt. "When your blood stains my claws and muzzle, we'll see how separated you can get."

"Challenge accepted." Shino tensed up about to make the changed when both Sakon and Ukon got a far off look for just a brief few seconds.

"Another time then, we have other matters to attend too…" Sakon said as if he was dismissing a small child. He and Ukon suddenly transformed into wolves and took off, their fur blurring with the rays of moonlight coming from, the darkness of the night definitely made them stand out more yet less at the same time.

"Are you alright?" Shino questioned as he stepped towards Kiba, who was shaking slightly with the relief that filled his entire body. His legs gave out a little and the wolf to shuffle a little bit to catch his mate. Kiba's eyes were blurry with tears.

"How did you know? How did you know I needed you right then?" Kiba asked burying his face in Shino's shirt. He was just so happy that Shino came and saved him from those wolves. Shino sighed a little and kissed the top of Kiba's head.

"I'm your mate, I will always know when you need me. Besides, you were practically screaming my name, it was hard to ignore. You sounded so scared…So desperate. And considering how much pride you have I knew it had to be serious which is why I wasted no time in coming here, I couldn't allow anything bad to happen to you especially since it was that wolf from before."

"I'm so happy you came for me…" Kiba muttered as he looked up from Shino's shirt. The wolf looked back down at him and captured his lips in a soft kiss. The pressure of Shino's mouth on his made Kiba's head swim with sudden pleasure; he didn't know kissing another man could feel so good, so right. He felt the soft touch of Shino's tongue against his bottom lip, licking it as a means of begging and Kiba couldn't help but oblige, Shino had saved his life after all and he should not be able to deny his savior anything.

Shino slowly moved them into a laying position on the ground, allowing Kiba's smaller body to be fully pressed against the dampening grass beneath. Limbs and fingers tangled in a mess of kisses and touches. The kiss itself wasn't something so simple anymore, Kiba was moaning with pleasure from the rough sliding of tongues going on between them. They had both learned quickly that the jerky thrusting of tongues definitely wasn't causing enough delicious friction in their mouths and the rubbing of their silky appendages made up for the lack. Kiba's hands were tugging at Shino's scalp making the wolf grunt with a feral need and he pulled away, yet Kiba still clung to him, planting small kisses on his face and neck.

"I need to satisfy my need to dominate you…" Shino muttered against Kiba's neck, licking it softly before taking a deep, sharp bite into it. Kiba let out a silent scream as he felt the fangs bury deeper into his flesh; it didn't hurt nearly as bad this time, call Kiba crazy, but it was actually feeling quite pleasurable, blurring his vision with tears of ecstasy instead of pain. Blood stained Shino's mouth and Kiba looked at him hazily.

"Do you wanna stay over tonight?" Shino felt heat flood through his system as Kiba's slurred words came out. He was pleasure drunk, it happened to most new wolves when they received yet another dose of the virus. It always seemed to have the same effects alcohol in large quantities.

"Not tonight my love, you don't know what you're saying." Shino muttered against Kiba's lips; he had sealed the space between them, trying to get yet another kiss from the wolf. "Maybe another night when you won't wake up the next morning and try to kill me for taking advantage of you." Though it greatly went against the need growing in his pants Shino had to stick to it and have a strong moral fiber. He couldn't just take advantage of Kiba because of the pleasure racing through his veins; it was clouding his better judgment. Besides, Shino wanted Kiba to come to him willingly, to allow him the wonderful pleasure of Kiba acting fully submissive to him. It was his role as a female after all. Shino smirked a little as he looked down at his mate who was peering up at him through glossy eyes; they were coated with lust and the makings of tears.

"But I don't want to sleep alone…I'm scared." He buried his face into the side of Shino's neck and the wolf sighed a little bit, picking Kiba up. This one was such a burden and a blessing...  
-

**I know it was short but still, you gotta see a pretty sweet moment between them :D And I think Kiba finally accepts that he's...GAY.**

**Kiba: I hate you!  
Me: Rude.  
Kiba: You wrote me like a bitch!  
Me: Hey, you were kinda bad-ass, not really...  
Kiba: Allow me to reiterate that for you. I HATE YOU!  
Me: Ya did better than I would. As soon as I saw that there were two I'da be like: "I give up. You win."  
Shino: I also dislike you at the moment. Stopping before it got good.  
Me: Hey, hey, sir. You're the one who didn't want to take advantage of him like a beast would.  
Shino: Feel my dislike...  
Me: Oh I feel it, and all the dislike from the fans as well...OH WELL! Until next time! THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA.  
Shino: They know who you are, you don't have to yell.  
Me: I DO WHAT I WANT :D  
**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hurray. Another update. I know we've all be waiting for it. Sooooo! I hope you enjoy the words I have written for you and your face. Regular PV  
-**

Kiba moaned as he rolled over; his body felt like it had been pulverized by a meat tenderizer and then hit by a semi-truck. It was no good. He opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was the lack of room in his bed. He believed this problem came from Akamaru, who sometimes actually slept next to him instead of at the foot of his bed. He yawned and was about to pat his dog on the head when he realized that it was no Akamaru sleeping next to him at all, in fact, it wasn't even a dog. It was Shino; technically Shino wasn't a dog, he was a wolf.

The brunet almost screamed; if he hadn't have felt it wouldn't have completely emasculated him he would have. Instead he took a breath to calm himself. He had seen this coming, he knew it was going to happen eventually. The way Shino melted his mind and took over that sense of what he knew blinded him; the previous feelings he had on the subject were shaded over by this wolf. Now that he had lived with that thought for a moment it didn't seem all that bad to him. There was almost a sense of relief flowing over him about the subject; now Shino and him could move past that ritual of the mating cycle and they could focus on something else.

Kiba bit his lip. He didn't like the things that popped into his mind when he thought of unresolved issues. The wolves' faces from last night flashed in front of his eyes and he couldn't help but shiver. He thought he would be safe since he was marked, someone had already claimed him. But apparently this wolf wasn't up on his mating rules. It scared and frustrated him at the same time. Why did stuff like this always happen to him? And he knew the worst of it wasn't over. Bad luck like always came down heavily like rain during the winter. He really didn't know what could break up this cycle of bad luck.

He sighed a little as he heard Shino release a relaxed breath. The werewolf had felt Kiba's continuous shifting as he did whatever he was doing on the bed; he assumed it was panic. It was keeping him from sleeping any longer and Shino just sighed and reached out for his glasses, which rested on the side table next to the bed. He sat up in the bed as Kiba just seemed to barely acknowledge him. Shino had his assumptions as to why; he smirked. He knew this could be a very exciting game for him.

"Good morning." Shino said brushing the stray strands of hair from Kiba's face; the brunet wolf couldn't help but blush a little at the feeling of Shino's hand on his face. There was such a warmth, such a comfort in the touch. It was like being lulled into a peace. He wondered if this was what mates felt all the time, the relief and comfort in just a single touch. "How are you feeling?"

There was weight to those words; it was a loaded question and Kiba knew it. Shino couldn't help but feel the sides of his mouth turn upwards in a smirk; Kiba thought they did it. He really believed it. Shino almost burst out laughing at the thought. He would never do something to Kiba in an altered state of mind or in a situation where sex would make the person feel far more vulnerable. But even still, teasing the boy as if they had done something was far too tempting.

"Like I've been hit by a train..." Kiba muttered as he sat back in the bed. He looked over at Shino, still with that small blush staining his cheek. But something about his room stood out to him; the door which the wolf from last night had adamantly tried to break through, a succeeded in doing so, was completely fine, no scratches, nothing. Kiba was staring at it and Shino smirked a little.

"I've called a fellow member of the pack, he fixed the door." Shino muttered. "We know that humans are not allowed to know of our activities so the less evidence we leave, the better. We can't just skew reality can we?"

"You've skewed the reality of some people already..." Kiba replied as he looked over at the wolf. "You know, I don't understand why werewolves have to hide. If it's part of life, shouldn't it be already a societal norm?"

Shino laughed a little at that comment. Society had done its best to try and separate itself from its animal qualities, even going as far as labeling them as sins. It did not want to be faced with the idea that monsters and beasts existed in such ways as they were now. Something like this could never be accepted; extermination was far too startling of an option to even consider it. "No, we can never live in the light. Our true existences must be clouded in the shadows, hidden from the world because of the weight it carries. Society is not ready for the truth of what lies in the darkness." The words sunk into Kiba's mind and to Shino, the brunet almost seemed scared by the truth. "It's okay though, the community of shadows will always accept you. You, Kiba, will always have a home with us."

Kiba felt some comfort in those words even though he knew he would have to live a double life. He couldn't tell his family that he was a werewolf; they would have him committed. At least he knew that he would have people to support and comfort him. Hell, his best friend, and his mate were both wolves, so he had all the love he needed. He leaned in a little as Shino picked up on his mate's sudden shift in mood. He grabbed Kiba's chin and brought him closer so he could taste the sweetness of those lips; even though he had officially gone through the transformation Kiba still tasted human.

If Shino had to pick a favor to be poisoned by, it would be Kiba's taste. He could die happy with a taste like that permeating his mouth because it would always remind him of the one he loved the most. His tongue dipped into Kiba's mouth, pushing past those pliant, plump lips into the cavern where the flavor was concentrated, sweet. Shino traced the inside of Kiba's mouth, making the brunet shake with pleasure as the skillful flicks of the wolf's tongue invaded deeper into his moist cavity.

Shino was pressing Kiba down into the bed and the smaller wolf didn't seem to mind since his thoughts were completely muddled by the pressure and pleasure the larger wolf's mouth was causing. The way Shino flicked his tongue, traced his mouth, just kissed him in general, could take Kiba's breath away. There was such a shock, a rush in his system that made the kiss absolutely blissful; it soothed him and calmed the storm of his mind. His body just felt right whenever Shino touched him now.

Kiba moaned softly into the kiss and Shino couldn't help but feel the urge to bite his mate. He had the urge to dominate, it was in his blood as a wolf but last time he did, it made Kiba love drunk. It also seemed to act like actual alcohol since Kiba couldn't even recall that they had not been intimate last night and that it was him who asked for Shino to stay. He sighed a little as he broke away from his mate. Shino kissed down Kiba's jaw and could smell himself lingering all over the smaller wolf beneath him; their scents intermingled in a way that was just intoxicating to Shino.

He kissed Kiba's neck softly, around the area he bit last night and Kiba shook underneath him from the sensitivity of the area and the all around tenderness of the kiss. He wanted to mark that soft flesh with his teeth, make it bleed and scent it as much as he could. No other wolf would have Kiba; Shino would let himself be ripped apart before they tried to take him away.

His fangs extended out of his mouth, teasing Kiba's skin by dragging his teeth against the flesh. Kiba shivered; his breath came out in shaky puffs as Shino teased him. It was too much for his inexperienced body to take. He could feel his control slipping.

"Kiba, wake up. It's time for school." His mother, his mother was on the other side of the door. Kiba nearly screamed as he pushed Shino off of him. The wolf took the hint as soon as he felt the smaller wolf tense underneath him. He headed towards the window and proceeded to jump out of it without saying a single word to Kiba, which was fine with him since he was going to see him at school.

He got out of bed and opened the door to reassure his mother he was awake. She smiled at him and patted him on the head before leaving the house. She was the local vet and was a good way to get him out of bed because when she left for work was about the time Kiba needed to get up to be able to get ready for school, otherwise he'd either have no time to get ready or he'd be late. He was about to step out and go into the bathroom when he heard feet behind him. Shino had reappeared in the room and stalked over to Kiba, capturing his lips briefly in a soft kiss. The smaller wolf was not expecting such a sweet gesture and when they pulled apart, he was flushed with excitement. Shino smirked at him. "Oh and we didn't get intimate last night; you were worried over nothing."

Kiba almost decked Shino in the face for making him freak out like that; it was just evil for him to allow Kiba to think they were full mates. Before he could even berate him, the wolf was already retreating back out the window. Kiba sighed a little, for now his identity was still intact but he really wondered what it would be like when it was completely dissolved away...  
-

**Elsewhere...**

Sakon was scowling as he entered the compound. He had been so close to attaining Kiba and killing that pathetic excuse of a wolf, Shino. Oh he yearned for Shino's blood to drip and fill his claws, giving him that high, that satisfaction of his death. He was never one who would be pushed away from a goal and Shino was shoving him from Kiba; it annoyed him to no end. He would do everything within his power to bring Shino to his knees and then take Kiba away when he was the weakest. It would be even more satisfying to see the devastation Shino's face was capable of when Kiba was fucked by another male; but of course Shino wouldn't sit still for something like that.

He stepped forward to where Orochimaru's throne was located; the Alpha seemed pleased with himself as Sakon approached but the wolf in front of him had called him back at such a critical moment. He did wonder what was so important as to interrupt him but at the same time he didn't care. Kiba was within his grasp, Shino was even there about to sign his death certificate; everything was working right in his favor.

"Sakon, it's time we started to play our hand. Don't you agree?" The wolf looked at his Alpha, knowing something had either happened to please him, or just amuse him. He was holding a crystal ball in his hand and he set it aside so he could stare directly at them. Sakon swallowed a little as the shadows began to move around him. "I've decided that we need to do something devastating to their side...Something that will make Itachi come running to me. If I have him under my control, the council will fall. So I've decided to make a team from some of the gifted wolves I have. Tayuya, Jirobo, and Kidomaru will be members; Sakon, you are the leader of this team."

All of them stared at each other. He was familiar with all of them and he didn't particularly like any of them. Tayuya was too short tempered and frankly, a bitch. It could be seen in her chocolate brown eyes; they always seemed to have some heat in them. She brushed her dark pink hair as she heard that Sakon was leading them and glared a little. Jirobo didn't seem to care, keeping his eyes trained on Orochimaru. He was a fat sack of shit, Sakon doubted he could contribute anything. And Kidomaru, he didn't know much about him, except for his annoying tendency to toy with his opponents. He never got a job done quickly. But it didn't particularly matter, Sakon was the leader. Orochimaru had picked him out for a reason; he had caught his attention, he was the strongest. He smirked a little to himself.

"Itachi only has one care in the world besides the members of his pack...Something so very near and dear to his heart that it almost disgusts me." Everyone was staring at him. They had all heard of Itachi's strength, his genius as a pack leader, his perfection. They had hated him for gaining such love and admiration from their Alpha, especially since it was the same wolf who had banished him to the shadows. It would be more than a pleasure for them to bring such a wolf to his knees. But they weren't sure how; if their Alpha couldn't bring him down then what could?

Orochimaru held up the crystal ball he received from Kabuto and let it flash to Itachi sitting in a chair smiling a little at a red haired man. When the man smiled his fangs shown with brilliance in the light. All of their eyes widened. Itachi was betraying his own race; he was fraternizing with a vampire. "This is Uzumaki Kyuubi; the current vampire clan leader. It seems that our dearest Alpha has fallen in love with such a creature." Orochimaru paused for a moment as he examined the crystal with a kind of disgust on his face. "This isn't just offensive to us, it's offensive to our great race. Vampires are the immortal demons in our lives, they need to be eradicated. This Kyuubi fellow will be the first step. Once he is out of the way Itachi will come running to me to seek his vengeance. But that's where you all come in; besides assassinating this beast, I have another mission for you."

Sakon swallowed a little. He was asking a good bit of them; killing a vampire was a difficult feat, especially when protected by an entire clan. They would not react well to their clan leader being slaughtered but as long as the main vampire was gone his fledglings would perish as well. It would slowly begin to erase vampire blood from their territory. It was a good idea and Sakon couldn't think much more than his master was a brilliant mind. However, he was nervous about the other aspect for what they had to do. To bring this Kyuubi person to his knees one or all of them would probably get injured; and if the other part of the mission required them to tame Itachi by fighting him, they might all fail to do it. Werewolves didn't take kindly to their loved ones being slaughtered; they would go into a frenzy and kill everything in their way until they got bloody satisfaction. He didn't know if they four of them would be able to hold such a wolf off...

"Sakon, I sense the doubt in your eyes." Orochimaru smirked a little. "In all your eyes actually." There was a tense silence passing through the room as each one of them tried to keep a stone face after being smacked with such a comment. They did not want to fail their Alpha and any moment of doubt could be their undoing. Orochimaru didn't take well to being crossed, nor did he liked any of his pack to show weakness. They all had to focus on their Alpha and his strength otherwise the foundation on which he built this pack would crumble under its own weight. "But don't fret...Itachi is not your target. No, we have another Uchiha in mind." Orochimaru smirked a little as it flashed to another wolf, one that looked shockingly similar to Itachi. "No...After you kill Kyuubi, you will bring me Itachi's sweet, little Beta, Sasuke." He laughed a little as he stared at the wolf. "Itachi would give up his soul to keep his little brother safe and that's just what we need. He will have nothing to lose and will be far more easy to assuage."

Sakon couldn't help but feel a sinister smirk creep up onto his lips. This mission may not be as dangerous as once thought but it would be far more fun. And while he was there raiding the compound for Sasuke, why not just make a small stop and grab his soon to be mate as well?  
-

**YET MORE ELSEWHERENESS! Yes. I'm going to patent that word :D**

Kyuubi was sitting at a table with Itachi; they had been watching Sai all night long. Well Kyuubi had been watching him since he didn't need to sleep. They were waiting until nightfall so the vampire could move around safely; it helped that Sai hadn't woke up yet. At first they had been worried but Tsunade assured them it was just the effects of the poison working its way out of his system. They had no choice but to believe her since she was one of the best known warlocks when it came to Otherworldy illnesses and poisons.

And for some reason it was now awkward between them. They had only exchanged a kiss, like they had done many times before but this time it had felt different. There was such a feeling behind it that Kyuubi couldn't help but get small butterflies in his stomach every time he thought about Itachi. It was actually kind of annoying yet made him giddy.

Itachi looked over at his red headed companion; they had been friends since high school and there had always been an attraction between them. But he had been fearful to try and Turn Kyuubi and the result of it was him being changed into a fledgling. He remembered the night when he had been told that new vampires were rising and how shocked he had been when he saw Kyuubi clawing his way out of the dirt of a cemetery. He had the perfect opportunity to kill him; stop him before his blood lust was unleashed upon the world, but all the memories of Kyuubi came flooding back and he couldn't bring himself to do it. One of the most vivid moments of that night still haunted him. It was when Kyuubi was gasping for breath but couldn't seem to fill his lungs; vampires didn't need to breath. He didn't seem to understand what had happened and when he looked up at Itachi, there was such a devastation in his eyes. Kyuubi had tried to reach out but fell flat coughing up the dirt in his lungs.

He couldn't look at him. He had become the enemy and he had thought about how easy it would be to just rip Kyuubi head off and rebury him in the ground. He even extended his claws to make the final blow but when Kyuubi's blue, pleading eyes caught Itachi's which were slipping red, he stopped. He could not continue. He found then that his love for Kyuubi was far to great; killing him would be much like ripping out his own heart. He helped Kyuubi to his house and stayed with him all night. When he had to explain to Kyuubi what had happened to him it had been the like a stab to his chest; a pain that ebbed within him deeply. Kyuubi had sat silently until Itachi finished before doubling over and rocking his body back and forth. He still remembered those dark, harsh words..._"This can't be happening...This is just a nightmare...WAKE UP KYUUBI! WAKE UP!" _

Thinking about that still pained Itachi because he had to keep his relationship mostly platonic with Kyuubi. He couldn't exactly ask the vampire to become his mate because of the Otherworld expectations. Vampires and Werewolves were mortal enemies. They were mere creatures of the underworld, not fit to love one another. But he couldn't help the feelings that bloomed in his chest; the roses of love who's thorns scarred his heart.

He couldn't stand the silence between them; it gave him time to think. He hated to think about all of his missed opportunities with Kyuubi because he just loved the Vampires so much. And he knew Kyuubi loved him too; they were the classic Romeo and Juliet. Their forbidden love kept Itachi thriving with the secret desires he held within his body. Whenever they'd sneak out to meet each other it was just another testament, another secret, another lie to keep the roses alive.

Itachi moved from his seat and stood in front of the Vampires who had moved as well so he could look at the wolf. Itachi's hands reached out and so did Kyuubi's; the fingers interlocked as Itachi pulled him from the seat. His chest was flush against the wolf's and there was such a bubbling in his stomach and he actually thought he might throw up from the sheer desire that threatened to eat away at his insides. The silence between them, the tension, it was like leaking faucet but instead of water it was acid; eating away at them. It needed to be filled with the sounds of kisses, love making. Their love was just too intense; it threatened to crumble the fibers of existence. Itachi wrapped his arms around that slim waist, pulling the vampire even closer. He could almost smell the need on the breath Itachi let fall from his lips. That source of almost humanity pulled Kyuubi in; he had forgotten what it was like to breathe. And Itachi's breath dancing on his lips made him feel a warmth he hadn't in years...

Their lips met briefly and that just added to the hunger, the need that wanted to burst and explode from their chests. It was an all encompassing need; it hurt. Kyuubi tangled his hands into Itachi's silk locks. The strands of hair felt like silken liquid as he dragged his fingers along the wolf's scalp. He could have laughed a little at the thought of his heart thundering in his chest; it had been years since it had taken its final beat. He could feel Itachi's though; he craved the wolf's pulse. The idea that he was alive, that he would not suffer the same fate Kyuubi had; it sustained the Vampire. Death for Itachi would mean that they would be forever separated; he could not rise from the Earth and feed on the lives of others like Kyuubi could.

That thought shook Kyuubi; he clung to the wolf as he continued to feel the press of Itachi's lips against his own. The pulse of need matched the pulsing of Itachi's heart; as long as it kept beating, as long as Itachi kept living, then he could feel whole, he could feel...Dare he say, almost human again.

Sai watched with a sense of horror; his Alpha, the one who he had been growing fond for, even beginning to love, was kissing an immortal enemy. There was such a light about them as they stood there connected by nothing but flesh. He could see it; he could see their love. Itachi loved Kyuubi and the Vampire did more than reciprocate the feelings. It hurt but not just because of the love because of the bitter envy staining his tongue, tasting worse than the vomit he had been retching for the past few hours. He could feel that bitter pain spreading through his body but could do nothing to stop it. His Alpha was in love; nothing could tear them apart. Not the norms of their society, nor the pack, nor the clan Kyuubi claimed; it seemed to that not even death could keep them separated since Kyuubi had been given another chance to stumble around the world. He wondered if one of the things that kept him going through the pain of the Vampire Venom was Itachi; the thought that he couldn't die without at least saying 'goodbye' or 'I love you' one last time...

They pulled apart; not wanting to get to far ahead of themselves. The need inside them had not been sated though; they still craved one another. The separation only made them fonder of one another. Kyuubi still kept one hand tangled in Itachi's hair and even caressed his face with the still free hand. Sai had a feeling that they would stay like that until they finally realized he was awake; he didn't want to cause a scene, make anyone feel awkward. He wanted to pretend as though he had seen nothing, to pretend that he wasn't jealous of Kyuubi, that perhaps, Itachi loved him.

He coughed a little rolling back and forth as he feebly sat up. When he looked over at them, they had parted like they hadn't been doing anything but watch him. Itachi was beside him in a moment placing his hand on the slightly feverish wolf, Sai almost slapped the hand away but resisted the urge. He couldn't let his Alpha know of the bitterness of his soul; Itachi had trusted him with a very well guarded secret. It was something he had to respect. But that didn't mean he couldn't hate it; he actually quite liked Kyuubi, the vampire reminded him of Naruto, who he was fond of, but the love between Itachi and him made him sick, completely green.

"How are you feeling?" Kyuubi asked as he poured a glass of water for him. He was so kind, so considerate. Sai couldn't hate him, no matter what he saw, he just couldn't bring himself to hate this Vampire. He also couldn't hate Itachi either. He took the glass from Kyuubi and nodded his thanks.

"I feel better..." He muttered out, not making eye contact with either of them.

"I'm glad...I was worried." Itachi said as he pushed a little bit of the sweat soaked hair from the wolf's face. The touch was gentle as though he was stroking a small puppy. He didn't lean into it though, even though his body was screaming for more contact. His Alpha belonged to Kyuubi, and Kyuubi belonged to him. Though Itachi's words were caring it was because Sai was just a member of the pack..."We'll be leaving soon since night has finally begun to fall. We're heading back to the compound; I have an announcement to make."

Sai wondered how much they had planned while he had been sleeping, how much they had planned. He already knew Itachi was a genius and a marvelous fighter, but Kyuubi was new territory, he didn't know much. But to become head of the Vampire clan one not only had to be brave and strong, but cunning, strategical. Kyuubi must be quick, completely able to think on his feet.

Itachi helped Sai stand up and walk to the bathroom; leaving Kyuubi in the room alone. The vampire couldn't help but think of what Sai had said to him last night; he wondered how much that wolf had fallen in love with his Alpha. Kyuubi felt a stab of guilt; they were far more perfect for each other than Itachi and him were; they were both still considered alive...  
-

**And that's where I'm ending it! **

**Kiba: What the hell is this?  
Me: Well it looks like a chapter...  
Kiba: Yeah, a chapter about Kyuubi, Itachi, and Sai.  
Me: I don't know what you're talking about! You're in there too, so is Shino! And Like everyone else except for Sasuke and Naruto.  
Sasuke: I resent not being the main character.  
Me: Take that hostility up with the guy with the specs!  
Shino: Get out of my author's notes...  
Sasuke: You guys suck!  
Me: Rude. Well, until next time, THIS WAS HITOKO-SAMA :D Who rocks.**


	12. Chapter 11

**This chapter has long been sought…For many a reason. You'll just have to read to find out as to why! Enjoy. Regular PV  
-**

Mornings were always Kiba's most hated part of the day. He was constantly being ripped from the serenity of his sleeping world to face reality which was not nearly as kind. Within the bosom of this life there was far more darkness than he could even imagine. His dreams made everything much more calm, healing his soul in a way. Everything had become so scrambled, so confusing, in the rush of this daunting new reality he had haphazardly been tossed into. He wondered how life would have been if he had never met Shino; what would be made of him then? Would that other wolf just scoop him up and immerse him in an immensely worse darkness as to what he was swimming in now? Or would he just be too jaded by all the evil to even care? Kiba shuddered at the thought. To become so absolutely uncaring would be completely against his more soft nature. Even he knew that behind his facade of manliness beat the heart of a far more caring and gentle man. With the norms of society though, it was far to difficult to allow such tenderness to be seen by others. Appearances could make or break a man; Kiba did not wish to be broken.

The sun was blazing in all its glory, the heat of June beating down on him with a ferocity. But it seemed to bring new life into the world, allowing flowers and plants to thrive with the delicious foods the light provided for them. All the while killing things around them. The grass on lawns was crippled, shivering up into a brown husk from the lack of hydration, protective layers of skin receiving the scorching kiss of the heat and burning away from a prolonged touch. Trees bent by the slight, cooling breeze overshadowed Kiba, shading him with a soft caress of their elongated forms. He couldn't help but feel a weight being pressed against him as well, only it wasn't make him bend, it was making him ache.

A need was forming under his skin, under his muscles, in the epicenter of his existence. His heart. There was such a deep seated passion burning like acid from the sheer volume of feelings he was having for Shino. As much as he denied love and feigned his heterosexual attitudes, he could feel the ache, as if it was eating him away. The acid of longing was tearing through his inside, breaking out and burning away his masked thoughts. Why was there such a weight with him? Why did love have to be such a burden on the soul? He wished to pull such a ache from the fibers of his being and be done with them, but they refused to move. They had become so deeply woven with in him it was impossible not to feel how they tugged and pulled at his heart, scorching him with painful longing.

He had been apart from Shino for maybe, at most, two hours. And yet, there was such a sadness that threatened to spill its way into his countenance and shatter the lies his face usually held. Sometimes he wished that he didn't have to lie about what he was feeling and about who he was feeling for. Shino had cracked and broken away quite a few layers of his mask with his persistence and kindness. He had just been there for him, no matter how weird things started to get. And it was more than obvious that he was completely willing to share all of him with Kiba. And that kind of devotion, it made Kiba almost giddy with a certain pleasure and fear it brought. Knowing everything about a person and opening up like a book was a scary thing to do, but it was all for that funny feeling called love. And all that love, frankly, scared Kiba slightly. He didn't know if he was ready for everything about himself to be ripped open and placed into the hands of another to be examined. But there was a reassuring wave that radiated from Shino that almost seemed to calm the storm of his heart. Shino's soothing hands, which had comforted him through his first transformation, his loving kiss, which had silenced his mind and filled him full of such a sense of passion that it couldn't be erased from memory, and not to mention his caring demeanor that had lulled him into this situation.

Kiba couldn't help but feel completely seduced by that shadowy creature. From the first day he had seen the wolf, his mind had been taken over by the thought of it. And lo, Shino had come from the dark recesses of the shady undergrowth and snatched his heart away, never to be seen again. And for some reason Kiba felt a sense of comfort in that.

Kiba walked down the path to his high school and when two sidewalks converged, Naruto's shining blond hair emerged. He had his hands shoved into his pockets, a backpack strung over his shoulder. He yawned a little as they two walked side by side, not yet greeting each other as the pavement passed beneath their feet. Naruto could feel that Kiba was lost in this thoughts by the look on his face, it was one of deep contemplation, even furrowing his features slightly. Naruto bit his lip a little, not particularly wanting to free Kiba of his mind, but he needed some answers to very important questions.

It had already spread down the line that Kiba had been attacked last night by a mysterious wolf, one that everyone knew belonged to Orochimaru's now budding pack. Naruto wanted very much to know how things had gone, if his friend was okay, and what the wolf may have said to him. Any hints to Orochimaru's plans or location would be a great way of stopping him dead in his tracks. Sure, Shino had reported everything he could to Sasuke, but it wasn't enough. Kiba had spent more time with the wolf, even though it may have just been full of him trying to escape. It still didn't mean that Kiba may have known more, and Naruto needed to squeeze as much information he could for the pack and Sasuke. But it wasn't just because of his obligations to the pack, no, it was for Kiba too. He cared very much for his friend and now they were bonded in a way that not every ordinary set of best friends would understand. Their lives had become shrouded in a secret buried within the very fabric of reality. He had to make sure that everything weighing on Kiba's mind could be openly shared, it was to protect his mind from burden.

"Kiba..." The brunet instantly glanced over at Naruto, a dulled look in his eyes as he blinked at the blond next to him. He had a feeling Naruto already knew about everything that had happened to him the night before. Shino had called someone to fix his door so it wasn't like it could be kept a secret. Sasuke was probably all over it already; he didn't doubt that when Shino had left this morning it was because he was going to try and give Sasuke a more detailed report. But he didn't like thinking about what had happened last night. It freaked him out. How could a wolf be so daring and stupid as to try and steal another's mate?

"I already know what you're going to ask me and frankly, I don't really want to talk about last night Naruto." Kiba said, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. But then he saw a determined twinkle in Naruto's eye and the brunet knew he should just give up then. Once Naruto got that look, it was impossible to steer him away from his goal. He sighed a little. "Fine...I'll tell you since you'll do nothing but pester me if I don't."

"Precisely. But you must know Kiba that I'm not just doing this for more information, it's also because I care about your mental well being. I mean you were just Turned and now you got all this shit on your plate. It's bullshit. And you should be chomping at the bit to tell me about what happened because no one should have to endure all of that fear alone. I'm always going to be here for you, you know that right?"

"Yeah...You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that after last night, I don't know what to think. I never thought that any wolf would be so disregarding to the rules and actually stalk me after I've been claimed by another...The sheer audacity astounds me." Kiba began, shaking his head a little. "If Shino hadn't have come when he did...I don't even want to know what would have happened to me. I mean I was so scared that I couldn't even more. It was kinda pathetic now that I think about it..." Naruto shook his head, not agreeing with his friend's claim. Fear was a great motivator for fighting or running but in certain situations it completely disabled the body. "I think what freaked me out the most was the wolf itself...It was like conjoined twins that could split apart," Kiba's frame shivered a little. "They teamed up to try and take me with them but luckily I managed to stave them off until Shino arrived to save my ass. There was something about the two of them that seemed completely ruthless, like that had no regard for anything the pack holds sacred...It was just such a shocking difference from what I've seen."

"That would be Orochimaru's lies. He's no doubt been feeding them his nonsense about being the superior race and how the rules shouldn't apply to use since everything is beneath us. For some reason, the new wolves eat that shit up. I don't understand how they can..." Naruto muttered. "It puts everything in danger. It's like he doesn't get that if we're discovered, it will completely destroy the world."

"But if everyone knew, it would be a far freer life. No hiding in the shadows, no running from the truth..." Kiba said as they started to finally approach the gates of the school. "I can see the appeal of it but cannot look past all the dangers. Living openly would be highly dangerous to everyone we know and care about. There's no telling as to what people would do if they found out about what was happening around them."

"Which is why we keep ourselves hidden; there is nothing to gain in pointless bloodshed. It would just be a war between all the races until everything was completely wiped off the planet..." Naruto muttered as he walked through the front gates of the school, Kiba following right behind him. "That's why we need as much information as we can get about Orochimaru, so we can stop him. It'll be the end of the world if we don't."

"Exactly..." Sasuke said as he came up behind the two of them. Shino was with him, just as Kiba thought he would be. It almost seemed that they were inseparable. Their bond must have been much stronger than he could calculate. "So Kiba, I'm going to have to see everything that happened to you last night."  
-

Kiba laid down on a slab in the middle of the meeting room. This had not been what he had been expecting when Sasuke told him that he wanted to see what happened. He thought that they would just simply mentally connect like Itachi was able to do and it would be over with as quickly as possible. Of course, as Sasuke had explained, he was not an Alpha. He didn't have that kind of power like Itachi did. He would have to resort to other methods, which landed him in the current situation.

He was staring up at the ceiling as Sasuke prepared behind him. He hadn't noticed that even the ceilings had their own design, like the rest of the room. It had been painted with the stars and moon, wolves dancing around the large hanging rock, creating a sense of whimsy. The stars actually twinkled in the dim light of the makeshift meeting room and it reminded how much of his life would be drifting in the dark of the night. He could only show his new body to a select group and even then it would be a thing still shadowed by the darkness of shame, of scorn, of misunderstanding.

Sasuke walked up to the slab and handed him a mug full of a strong smelling tea. Kiba had no idea what was in it but he had no doubt that his superior wanted him to drink it. Kiba looked into the cup and noticed that it wasn't just strange smelling, it had a strange color. The liquid, for the most part, was green. But when tilted ever so slightly it shone with a strange silver tint. He eyed it wearily and was about to refuse when Shino came up next to him. "Drink it. It's just Wolf's Bane. It helps us sleep."

"Why do I need to sleep?" Kiba asked as he took an experimental sip of the liquid. It was shockingly sweet, as if honey had been heated up so much that it lost its viscous form and was thin like water. But it had an aftertaste that was not what he had been expecting, it was like a small dash of lemon was within the drink as well.

"It'll be easier for me to access your memories." Sasuke said as he scanned a bookshelf, tossing a book over to Shino, who caught it gracefully. Naruto looked a little nervous as he brought something to Sasuke. The Uchiha smirked and kissed his mate on the forehead before waltzing back over to Kiba. "If you're awake, you'll be distracted and your thoughts will get in the way of the memories. This, however, will make you focus on last night so I may see what happened without any mishaps or misinterpretations."

Kiba shrugged a little as he swallowed the remaining liquid in the cup, feeling a sudden dizziness take over. He laid back down on the slab, a hand over his face as the room spun around him. The stars on the ceiling had dulled in his eyes and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the strange feeling taking over his form. He jumped a little when he felt a warm hand atop his own; Shino interlaced their fingers, bringing Kiba's hand up so he could give it a gentle kiss. "Don't worry...I'll be here the entire time. I won't let Sasuke do weird things to you."

The Uchiha turned his head, a slight frown gracing his features as the wolf sat down on the other end of the slab. Kiba looked over at Sasuke who dropped a chain from his hand; a small opal hanging from it. For some reason Kiba couldn't take his eyes away from it, especially when it started to swing, slowly, back and forth. Kiba noticed that he wasn't dizzy anymore as he focused on the small jewel.

Kiba fell into the trance almost instantly, making Shino smirk a little. He hadn't even noticed how gone he actually was before it was too late. But now came the more difficult part of the ritual, allowing their minds to meld enough so Sasuke could see into his thoughts and gain as much information as he possibly could. The Uchiha scooted forward, waving a finger in Kiba's face. "Kiba, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"One."

Sasuke turned towards Shino and handed him the jewel. "He's ready. Shino, Naruto, I need the two of you to watch us like hawks. I'm going to need the two of you to wake Kiba up with I give the signal. It'll pull me back into my own mind, okay?" The two of them nodded as Sasuke explained the signal to them. It was simple enough. The range of motion and sound was limited when in a trance induced sleep; Sasuke decided it would be his best to do something simple, like snore three times. "Kiba...Think about what happened last night. Where were you before the wolf attacked you?" He was about to open his mouth and say something when Sasuke shushed him, placing his fingers on the other wolf's temples. "No, no. Not with words, show me with your mind."

Shino was slightly tense seeing Sasuke stare so deeply at his mate, their eyes were interlocked. And even though Kiba's were complete glazed over, it felt like Sasuke was deeply penetrating into him with his own gaze. His normally calm black pools were shining with a kind of desire; a lust for the knowledge in Kiba's mind. Shino knew that this was for the benefit of the pack but he couldn't help but feel a stirring of jealousy within himself. He didn't like someone being so close to his mate, Beta or not.

Sasuke's eyes started to roll back into his head as his gaze finally glassed over as well, meaning he had finally slipped into Kiba's mind. That seemed to erase the jealousy Shino was feeling and his body relaxed as he watched the two of them. He had no idea how long this procedure would take, not that it mattered much because they had managed to be excused from school for this. How Sasuke had managed to do it, Shino didn't know, but he pulled it off. And it wasn't like it mattered too much since they only had a few more weeks until school was over.

Shino paused in his thoughts for a moment as he glanced over at Kiba. They didn't have much more time before the mating moon was over and then they would have to wait an entire year until they could even be sexually active with each other. He didn't think he could last that long. Kiba's body was slowly starting to become far more welcoming towards him, opening up with barely any restraint, sometimes with none at all. It was a signal that Kiba was willing to take steps forward; Shino didn't want to push it though.

Kiba connected him to his human side, his far more compassionate and caring side. Being around him actually made him feel as though he wasn't a werewolf, but a human. And as much as he would love to let his animalistic side take over, he wouldn't. Kiba was an important person in his life now and he didn't want to scare him off. Even though werewolves had plenty of techniques for winning over their mates, such as bites. The bites were like a direct shot of arousal to the system, making it seem like the body was high. To Shino, it was a bit barbaric. Kiba would come around on his own accord and allow Shino to court him properly. He wanted to treat the smaller wolf as though he was nothing more than a human. He wouldn't resort to cheater mating tricks to win Kiba over, no, it would be far more than that. He could have easily taken Kiba the night he was turned, or even last night after biting him. The urge to dominate had been strong due to the presence of the other wolf.

Shino suppressed a growl when thinking of the other wolf. He had been cocky enough to even try to attack his mate, even managing to frighten him. When he finally got his hands on the other wolf, it would be over. Shino would do everything in his power to make sure that wolf suffered until his very last breath. He didn't even mind the prospect of eating out his throat and making him choke on his own blood. Shino licked his lips thoughtfully, a small smirk gracing his features. It was only a matter of time before it happened. But he would savor every second of it.

His ears perked up when he heard Sasuke's breathing deeping, accompanied by deep snores. He counted three and they moved Sasuke away from Kiba, waking the smaller wolf up in the process. Kiba blinked a few times, holding onto his head before shutting his eyes again. Sasuke blinked and he was back into his own mind. "Did you get all you needed Sasuke?" Shino asked as he looked over at Kiba's exhausted form.

Sasuke nodded and patted Shino on the shoulder. "Indeed I did. All that's left now is to get in contact with Itachi and tell him what's been happening." He glanced back at Kiba, who laid motionless on the slab. "Take him home Shino, he's been a great help and deserves rest."  
-

Kiba's body twitched him into an upright position. He was panting, looking around, the sweat dripping from his face whipped around with the quick turns of his head. He was in his room. And from the remote silence of the house, no one but him was home. He sighed a little with relief, seeing a small note on his side table. It was from his mother saying something about going out with his sister on some kind of girl's night. He didn't mind at all. He preferred to be home alone. Kiba laid back in his bed, wiping the sweat from his brow. He couldn't remember what he had been dreaming about. It must have been something terrible to make him sweat like this.

He got up from his bed and walked over to the window, pulling it open. The heat could give him some downright terrifying nightmares but maybe the cross breeze could help. The curtain blew past his face and he spotted something on the lawn, something that moved quickly because when he glanced to get a better look, it was gone. He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes afterward. He had a feeling he would be paranoid for a great deal after his trauma. Kiba sighed a little and returned to his bed, noting that it was six in the evening. He couldn't go back to sleep and he didn't particularly feel like staying awake unless he had something to do.

His phone was sitting on the side table next to his bed. He unlocked the screen and saw that no one had called or texted him. His eyebrow twitched. It was like he had no friends at all. Or maybe his now extremely close friends thought he was still sleeping and should let him do so. He could text Shino and the wolf would come quickly, no doubt. But Kiba, for some reason, felt like Shino already knew he was awake and wanted to see him. He wondered if this happened to Naruto; he would ask the blond later.

Kiba sat back down on his bed, throwing his phone to the side. And as soon as it landed on the pillows, it went off. He absolutely hated when it did that. He grabbed it and saw that the one and only blond was actually calling him. He answered without hesitation. "Hello?"

_"Hey Kiba, I'm just checking in to see how you feel." _Naruto said with a certain tone that made him seem as though he wanted move information than just the usual check-up.

Kiba thought about it for a moment. How did he feel? If he was talking just about today where all he endured was Sasuke probing around in his mind then he was just bored. If he was talking about the last few weeks then he had no clue how he felt. He was exhausted, scared, confused, and just a giant wash of emotions. It was like he had recently developed a bi-polar disorder. "I guess I'm okay, if I had to say a more solid answer."

_"Kiba, you know that you don't have to exclusively to Shino right? I'm always going to be here for you during all this hell confusing bullshit. We're going through this together. We're both the mates of very powerful werewolves and no one should ascend that transformation alone."_

To Kiba there was something cuttingly soothing about the words coming from Naruto. He knew he would always have his best friend but knowing that they were sharing this struggle almost made them that much closer. He would forever be grateful for the blond. Naruto knew all the right words to put his mind at ease.

There was tapping at his window and Kiba turned towards it to see nothing. No trees were next to his window so what was that? He looked out his window, putting his conversation with Naruto on pause.

_"Kiba? Hello? Die you die or something?_"

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm cool, I just thought I heard something outside." There was a pause on Naruto's end this time. It made Kiba feel a shot of adrenaline go through his veins when the silence became the new conversation. It was starting to freak him out a little. Naruto was no doubt going to be a little jumpy after Kiba got attacked too but they shouldn't be too concerned about it, right?

_"You know I can be there in a few minutes, right? Sasuke and I will both come, even if it's nothing. And we can call Shino too, just in case." _The way Naruto phrased his comment made Kiba feel a clenching in his heart. He was trying to soothe him but it wasn't working too well. He still felt a fear burning in the deepest part of his stomach. What if he did need them to come? Would that other wolf actually be stupid enough to come back so quickly? Even if that wolf was a genius there was no way he'd be able to plan something that would work to capture him in the span of a few hours...Right? Kiba sucked in his lip and started to chew it nervously. Maybe he should invite both of them over until Shino came...

He was about to reply to Naruto when he slammed to the floor by something large and heavy. He let out a scream because of how startled he had been. He could hear Naruto yelling on the other line about him coming but when Kiba finally grasped onto the situation he saw Shino's arm reach out for the phone. "That won't be necessary Naruto. I've got this all under control." He hung up the phone, one of his hands pinning down both of Kiba's wrists.

The fear inside of him was subsiding and being replaced with relief. He let out a sigh as Shino leaned down and put his mouth next to Kiba's ear. "Well, well. Here we are again." He placed a small nip on the lobe, making the smaller wolf shiver underneath him. "You were calling for me, you know that? Your dreams were calling to me and I could see and feel it all. You weren't very scared were you? Could you feel my lust for you, even in your dream?" Kiba shivered a little as his body lit fire with a new feeling. Arousal flooded in his system making his stomach flip-flop with the feelings it bubbled from deep inside him.

Shino moved his mouth, kissing from his cheeks to his mouth. Once he sealed his lips on Kiba's and got that intoxicating flavor coating his lips, he couldn't pull himself back. He had been waiting for so long that he wouldn't highly resist any protests coming from Kiba's lips, if there were any. He let go of Kiba's wrists and the brunet sat up into Shino's lap, running his hands all over the wolf's body. They finally trailed their way up from his chest to rest in his hair, which got the occasional tug and soothing taps of fingers. The smell of arousal made Shino's head swim with lust, he could feel it too, taking over his own body as Kiba got more and more heated from the kiss.

He licked Kiba's bottom lip, sucking it into his own mouth and nibbling on it gently as a way of asking permission. The moan he got in response was the best possible answer. He dipped his tongue into that mouth, feeling his way around to taste even more of that sweet flavor. Kiba was just an addictive taste, he would never taste anything so satisfying the rest of his life. His brushed his thumb against the soft skin of Kiba's cheek and resisted the urge to pull back and just shower him with kisses. Shino's hands gently felt the fabric of Kiba's shirt, tugging and pawing at it, Kiba knew that he wanted it out of the way but he didn't want to pull out of their kiss. Shino was the first to pull back, removing the shirt from Kiba's lithe frame.

He had seen the smaller wolf without his shirt before like when they would change for PE, or on other random occasion where the stripping of clothes was almost mandatory. His body may have been lithe but it was dotted with lean muscles that gave Kiba his hidden strength. Shino's fingers traced down the muscles of his abdomen, connecting his mouth to the delicately fluttering pulse of Kiba's neck. His skin was smooth, feeling like silk underneath Shino's finger tips. The skin was tanned, sun kissed would be the perfect term for it. Kiba whimpered when he felt a soft bite on his neck; his spine was shooting bolts of electricity through his body even from the simplest touch.

The need was growing and Kiba pulled Shino's mouth from his neck. They connected their lips again and there was such a feral passion in the kiss that their teeth clashed together as the fight with tongues ensued. Kiba let a moan tear from his throat and Shino could no longer stand the clothes keeping their bodies apart. He wanted more skin, he wanted that delicious friction from the slickness of their bodies rubbing together. Kiba barely noticed when Shino picked them up from their spot on the floor, he did notice when he was unceremoniously tossed onto the bed. Shino was atop him in a moment, tugging at the belt of his jeans. Kiba couldn't help but start stripping Shino of his clothes as well. The urge to touch his skin was making his heart pound madly in his chest.

They stared at each other for a moment, taking in the sights of the other's body. Kiba was panting a little, his face flushed with lust and excitement. It was tinting the rest of his skin as well, brightening it up to the point where it looked mouthwatering. Kiba ran his fingers against Shino's chest, admiring the taunt, more visible muscles on the larger wolf's form. His skin was a paler, creamy color which contrasted well with his own. But what stood out the most, literally and figuratively, was Shino's very engorged manhood. He was so aroused that it actually stood up fully, slightly coming to rest on his abdomen. Kiba felt a sudden nervousness enter his system as he reached out to touch the very hard cock. Shino let out a slight groan at the feel of tentative fingers, they were soft, curious; his arousal twitched. Kiba felt a heat coming over his face as Shino leaned over him. His sunglasses had been removed during their earlier clothes removal and having those deep, penetrating eyes staring into him suddenly made him feel self-conscious.

"Look at what you've done to me Kiba." He grabbed Kiba's hand, making the smaller wolf get a full feel of his pulsing erection. "It only wants you and it's so painfully desperate for your touch." There was strange amount of confidence that entered Kiba's blood as he sat up slightly, grasping Shino's cock firmly while pulling the wolf down for another kiss. He couldn't help but groan at the feeling of Kiba's hand stroking him so firmly. It was still slightly tentative but it didn't stop that curious little appendage from doing some things that he would have never thought Kiba would have done.

Kiba's strong strokes were accented with slightly ghost touches across the head and sac, making Shino shiver at the pleasure. He didn't want to be having all the fun so he took his own free hands and began to fondle the smaller wolf back. Kiba's mouth pulled back from Shino's as an elongated moan burned through his lips. He could taste the very need that had been building in his gut. Shino couldn't repress the urge to slam Kiba to the bed and when he did their cocks brushed together, exciting a moan from both of them. Kiba was shivering underneath him, rocking his hips upwards into his creating a decadent friction for the both of them. Shino growled a little as he spread Kiba's legs a little wider; all of the pleasure was rushing to his head and his more animalistic instincts were taking over. 'MATE' was practically being screamed inside his skull when he looked down at that delicious body once more. He needed to more than feel it, he needed to taste it, breath it, and most of all, make love to it.

He leaned into Kiba's body attaching his mouth to that supple, soft neck and loving the sounds he would get when his lips barely brushed over his pulse. Shino could have purred with satisfaction at the mess he was making of Kiba. He took an experimental bite of that soft skin and Kiba moaned, trashing slightly underneath him. "Shino..." The way his name was uttered, with such a lustful tone, made Shino almost dive off the deep end and take him as he was. But he was able to grasp himself before doing such a ferocious deed.

Shino started to rush his kisses and nips, opting to only tease Kiba with them instead of spend long amounts of time playing with such a wonderful body. Kiba was panting, whining, and moaning just from the treatment and it was pleasing the wolf very much. Shino kissed down his thighs, sucking on one until there was a large, painful red mark standing out from the skin. Kiba's leg shook as it was soothed with soft, ghostly kisses; the pleasure was becoming too much for him. Shino bypassed Kiba's cock, knowing that if he paid it too much attention, it would explode. Instead he became face to face with the orifice of his dreams. He licked his lips in anticipation and then licked the hole as gently as he could. Kiba nearly jolted off the bed at the shock and feeling it caused. It was nothing he had ever experienced before but it brought such fire to his arousal that it was actually making his erection ache to be touched.

The wolf lapped at the entrance, getting it sopping wet before even attempting to shove in tongue inside. Kiba arched as he felt the slippery muscle penetrate him. Shino was in heaven. Kiba's muscles were clamping around his tongue so sinfully that he wondered what kind of treatment his cock would receive. He thrust the muscle in and out making Kiba grunt at the strange feeling filling him until a soft, wanton moan told Shino it was enough. He needed to move on to the actual fun.

Kiba whimpered when he felt Shino pull back from him; he was really starting to enjoy that feeling. But he instantly had a new toe curling sensation enter him when Shino's naughty hands decided to send a finger inside. He didn't tense from the feeling, still very wet and stretched from the tongue. But when the second entered, he felt a strange pain inside his lower back. He slowed his breathing as Shino's scissored and stretched him out. He was relaxing to the best of his ability but there was still a slightly dulled pain but it was slowly subsiding. When the third finger entered him, he let out a tensed moan. It wasn't just because of the new pain of being stretched but because of the sheer intensity of the new sensation it was causing. There was a dulled pleasure hitting him harshly and the more Shino moved his hand, the more pronounced it would come. Shino smirked at the face Kiba was making, it was so lustful and just seemed to scream 'SATISFY ME'. And he would, he would make love to Kiba until he fainted or he couldn't cum anymore.

"Are you ready?" The brunet grasped onto himself once more as he felt the full weight of Shino's words. Was he ready? His body was screaming a yes to that but mentally was he prepared to finally give himself fully to that wolf sitting at the end of his bed, the one who complicated his life but at the same time would die to protect him? Kiba breathed out a small sigh and nodded his head. Yes, he was ready for it. All of it. If he wanted to feel fully connected to Shino it was the thing he had to do.

Shino nodded too and he pulled Kiba's legs apart, staring at him while he positioned himself at that soft, wet entrance. He started to push the head of his cock inside, only to pull it back out, teasing Kiba and himself at the same time. He wanted to thrust deeply inside but he needed to stretch him just that little bit more. Kiba moaned when he felt all of it sliding into him. It hurt like nothing he had ever felt before and he almost screamed for it to be removed but he just grit his teeth and sighed. It would pass, he knew. Shino saw the pained expression and leaned into Kiba's body. "It's okay. I know it hurts now but just be patient with me. I promise I won't move until you want me to. I'll stay like this the rest of my life if that is what you require." The words soothed the pain in Kiba's lower back and he wrapped his arms around Shino's neck.

"It's okay...Just do it slowly..." Kiba muttered against Shino's lips. They kissed as Shino pulled himself out, savoring the unbelievably satisfying friction his inner walls were causing. Kiba was so tight and hot that it was making Shino shake slightly due to the strength it required not to slam back into him. Kiba whimpered with a strange sense of pleasure, the pain was just a dull ache in the back of his mind now. It was becoming too difficult not to love the feeling of Shino filling him, even if it was just that feeling and no other when they had sex, he would be okay with it. Their bodies were connected now and the feeling of it was indescribably pleasuring, it was like they had finally become one being. They know shared everything, feelings, thoughts, and pleasure.

Out of Kiba's lips fell a soft moan as Shino's hips started to increase their speed. Pleasure was aching its way into every small movement the larger wolf was making and it caused Kiba to start moving his hips back against him. Shino knew exactly what that meant and how much better for Kiba it was about to get. He wanted to do nothing more than to pleasure his mate and he if failed to do so he would never allow himself to touch the beautiful man again. He hit something inside Kiba that made his body completely tense up, the muscles hugged Shino so tightly that he let out a hot groan of pleasure because of it. Kiba let a moan rip out of his throat as he pulled Shino closer to him, kissing him with such a ferocity that it did more than please Shino.

Feeling that Kiba's inner walls weren't squeezing as tightly as they were before, Shino started to pick up the pace. He heard the collection of moans and sounds dripping and tainting those sweet lips and it was like Heaven, a blissful Nirvana where no one but them existed. He was so focused on Kiba, watching his face contort with the sinfully pleasureful pain as moaned out forms of his name burst through his mouth. It was very arousing to see such a beautiful face. Kiba's eyes were closed but the lids would flutter open every so often followed by a soft moan. His mouth hung slightly open ready to release those seductive sounds at a moments notice. This had been everything Shino had been waiting for and more.

Kiba's eyes opened when he felt that burning gaze beating down on him. Shino's brow dripped with sweat and every time the smaller wolf tried to focus on his eyes, his vision would blur due to a well placed thrust. To Kiba there wasn't enough friction between them, it was starting to drive him mad until he would receive a full, pleasure laced thrust against that nerve inside him. He wanted more though, he thought about how much it would please Shino if he begged but decided maybe it would ruin things. Everything had such a serene, calm feel, a dream-like mistiness. It was perfect in every way.

Shino bit the inside of his cheek a little when he felt nails digging into his shoulder blades, he had almost forgotten that Kiba's arms had been around his neck this entire time. It was wonderful feeling, the pain of those sharp crescents digging into his flesh while he probed around a hotter, slicker entrance. The pain was practically nothing in the wake of the pleasure he was feeling. He noticed that Kiba had become a little more active in their love making too, squeezing his inner walls around Shino as he exited then pushed himself back in. He was making the same amount of noise, if not more so, than before and he was starting to arch up off his bed, pushing Shino deeply inside. It was like he was trying to drive him crazy.

Kiba felt the tight coiling in his stomach, it was burning with need of release and he could tell that Shino was getting close too. He didn't know why or how he knew, but he did. The face he was making seemed to display all the lust in that moment, all the desire that had been building. Kiba shook with pleasure thinking about how good Shino was feeling. The thrusts of the larger wolf's hips increased with a needy speed and Kiba let out a grateful moan, digging his nails deeper. He pulled Shino down for another kiss but stopped half-way to arch up, releasing himself on both of their stomachs. He hadn't even realized how close he had been. Shino moaned, feeling those lovely walls closing in around him. The feeling was nothing he could ever compare.

He continued to thrust, increasing the sheer volume of the pleasure to Kiba's orgasm. He was still moaning loudly but there was something a little more sated in his voice this time. Shino knew he couldn't hold out much longer and with one final, good squeeze from Kiba, it was over for him. The sensation of being filled with hot, sticky liquid made Kiba whine as Shino continued to ride out the afterglow of his orgasm. It had hit him hard and he was very satisfied with finally being able to have Kiba. He bent over and kissed him so gently that Kiba whimpered, pulling him closer so they could deepen the kiss.

Staring into each other's eyes, Kiba and Shino just laid there, panting, sweating, sharing the occasional kiss. It had been all they had ever hoped for and more. There was a stronger bond between them now, they had shared in each other's bodies, tasted the comfort that lies within. Shino knew he would never be able to let Kiba go, not anymore. This bond with him, he decided, would be protected to the death. Shino would rather die before letting someone else sink their teeth into his lovely mate. He pulled his now limp cock from Kiba and he sighed with relief as Shino laid down next to him, cuddling the smaller body into his arms. It was truly a perfect moment, except, to Shino...One thing seemed to be missing.

"I love you." He said to Kiba and the boy's eyes opened for a moment with a slight sense of shock. Kiba knew it was true and was coming from the heart but for some reason all of it seemed to happen so suddenly. The seduction had been subtle enough, he supposed, but there was just the annoying underlying question he had been trying to figure out the last few days or so. Did he love Shino too? Surely he did because he wouldn't let just anyone do what Shino had just done to him and he had been calling Shino's name when he was in dire need of help...

Kiba's heart was beating so loudly that it was thundering in his ears, drowning out any other noise that could be possibly made at the time. He swallowed hard, his throat feeling suddenly very dry. "I love you too." He had said it and for some reason a flood of relief washed over him. His body had been so tightly compressed by that weight that he could almost take a new breath. Yes, he loved Shino, very much. For now, Kiba knew, the best way to say it was with words, later he could prove it in other ways.

Shino pulled the smaller boy even closer then, nuzzling his head in Kiba's neck. He could hear the more subdued beats of the boy's heart and wondered if there was any chance that this moment was a dream and he would be waking up. When he didn't he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Shino was relieved, he was happy, and not to mention extremely satisfied. Taking a risk like this had been a bit daunting but he was glad he did so. He needed to hear those words from Kiba's mouth. He pulled Kiba's face closer to his own and pressed their lips together for one more, soft, smooth kiss.  
-

**And that's where I'm ending it. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Kiba: Finally, you've been holding out on us for so long. But it does make me feel like you've got something annoying planned for the next chapter.  
Me: Perhaps...Okay, yeah I do. But it goes with the plot. Besides, there will be more loving in later chapters.  
Kiba: Should I be worried about the next few chapters where maybe no sex happens?  
Shino: That's not even a real question, you're dealing with Hitoko-sama now...  
Me: Shino's right. I have many a plans for you both...MUHAHAHAHA  
Kiba: That laugh is not reassuring at all. This was Hitoko-sama**


	13. Chapter 12

**Woo another chapter. Thank the gods, cause I need a break from all of this studying…and nonsense called school. So anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Regular PV  
-**

Sasuke didn't have to go far to tell his brother about what he had seen in Kiba's mind. As soon as night fell and they had confirmed Kiba's safety, Sasuke kissed Naruto goodbye so he could set out to find his Alpha. But he barely had to walk out the front door before he was face to face with the older Uchiha. He smiled down at his little brother and Sasuke found that he was flooded with relief, his Alpha was home, his Alpha had finally come back to the pack to take charge once more. But his brother wasn't alone, the smell of the undead creature was reeking into the house, filling his nose with the smell of putrefied blood that filled the veins of the inhuman monster. Sasuke's fangs instantly leap from his mouth, filling it with pointed, white dagger, poised for the kill.

He didn't think of how strange it was that Itachi hadn't noticed the smell. All he could feel was that urge to protect, to kill whatever was threatening his pack. He growled lowly in his throat when he saw a shadow standing behind his brother. Itachi didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care. There must have been something wrong. There was no other way of explaining it. Sasuke's jaw snapped with the gnashing of teeth. Itachi reacted before Sasuke could blink.

Sasuke had been completely thrown off his feet. He had been completely uprooted and pushed back by his brother. How could this be? Itachi was their Alpha and he was betraying the most sacred rule. Don't let Vampires into the compound, don't let them know where the dens of the wolves were. So why had Itachi filched on the number one rule, the number one taboo. When Sai helped the Beta to his feet he was about to charge his brother, start screaming of betrayal and mind control. But he saw who the Vampire was, that shock of crimson hair, the playfully, deep eyes that were as blue and crystalline as Naruto's.

"Sasuke, dearest Beta...I have an announcement to make. I need you to rally up all the wolves so I can tell them." Itachi said as he brushed a stray hair from Sasuke's face. He nuzzled his brother as an apology for hurting him earlier, Sasuke whimpered at the small touch. "I know I may have said that I was going to be gone for a while, but I'm back and I have very important news to share, with everyone.

Sasuke's eyes flashed to Kyuubi and feeling that he had something to do with the news that was so very important. It must have been something very pertinent if Itachi was actually allowing the Vampire into their compound. The smaller Uchiha nodded closing his eyes to send a message to everyone but paused, opening his eyes.

"Itachi, I also have very important news to tell you and have already started the preparation for a meeting of my own." Sasuke's body tensed a little when he talked and thought about what he had seen in Kiba's mind. The problem with doing such a thing was that he would feel all that Kiba had felt when he was attacked. The fear, the anger; it had been almost torturous for him. It made his blood boil and Kiba wasn't even his mate. The sheer disregard that wolf had for Kiba and Shino almost made him sick. Orochimaru needed to be stopped, quickly too.

Itachi could sense the urgency in his brother's eyes, his stance, it must have been something to do with Orochimaru. The Alpha's jaw set a little tighter and he patted his brother on the head. "Tonight, dear little one, I will hear everything you have to say. I also will make my announcement then and take back control over the pack." Itachi paused for a moment before gently smoothing some of his Beta's features with a soft touch on the cheek. "But, if you feel it is important that I not wait to know, I will listen to everything you say, every detail."

"Just look into my mind, my Alpha; everything is there, ready for you to see." Sasuke replied. He allowed Itachi's hand to pressed gently against his forehead. Sasuke relaxed, clearing his mind, letting his brother in to see what had happened. He needed to know every detail, he needed to see what Kiba had experienced.

Itachi pulled his hand back, frowning. Sasuke knew it wasn't what he was actually feeling, there was far more anger than he was willing to display but it was still enough to now that Itachi was more than irritated with the current situation. "Sasuke, call the other to come now. We cannot wait anymore, it is apparent now."

"Shino, what's going on?" Kiba asked. He had been woken up, from a very peaceful sleep, to Shino shaking him almost violently. They hadn't wasted time in coming to the Uchiha complex. When they arrived wolves packed the house, forming a line out the door. They parted of course for Shino who was a higher rank, but it still dazed and confused Kiba. Shino had been mostly silent about the affair they were attending. He felt it had something to do with what Sasuke had done to him that day, but he didn't know. Kiba had hoped that he would get some recovery time from his adventure with Shino but apparently that wasn't the case.

Shino wasn't answering him and Kiba was getting a bit aggravated with the wolf's silence. They were mates weren't they? Weren't they supposed to share everything that was happening with each other? Shino reached for Kiba's hand and the wolf brushed past him. Shino snarled a little not like Kiba's insolence but he could understand it a little. He was keeping information from Kiba and he had a right to be mad, but he was going to find out soon enough. Shino slightly blamed it on the soreness Kiba might have had and the fact he was tired. His mate would get over it, right?

They slipped past the large groups of wolves standing together, chatting as they waited for be seated. Sasuke was sitting with Naruto next to the podium. Strange to both Kiba and Shino, they approached with slightly incredulous looks. Naruto pointed to the podium where Itachi was sitting, his head laid delicately on his palm. Kiba seemed to do a double-take. What was he doing back? From the way he abruptly left, leaving Sasuke in charge, it seemed that he would be gone on a prolonged journey. It had been less than a week and he was back.

That must have meant something, right? Kiba wasn't sure. He didn't know Itachi very well, and all considering, he couldn't really base anything off of Sasuke, even if they seemed similar. They could be completely different people. But for now Kiba was going to remain silent. The point of this meeting would be revealed to him eventually and it just wasted energy to think through all the possibilities.

After all the wolves finally settled in and suddenly the room grew tense. Jaws were snapping, growls were clearly heard. Even Kiba, who was knew to the whole wolf thing felt a sudden rage boil within him. There was a scent pervading the air, something that smelled of rust, blood that had gone back. Kiba didn't know what the scent was but it made his head swim with rage. Shino was the only thing he could grasp onto without losing himself to this new sense of madness.

"Where is it?" One of the wolves stood up, their pointed, shining fangs gleaming with blood lust. Their claws were poised, sprung up from the cuticles so quickly that they were vermillion, shredding the delicate skin around them. "Where is the Vampire? I can smell it."

So that's what the smell was? Kiba would have never guessed, but it made sense. Vampires were supposed to be the Werewolf polar opposite. The simple smell of them would send everything up into a frenzy. But how did one get in? And why did Sasuke, Sai, and Itachi seem so calm about it? Shino was practically chomping the air just with the smell. Even Naruto, who was pretty new to this, seemed so unlike himself, so unreal, he was so aggressive looking. Like he was about to jump off the deep end and snap something's neck.

The shadows seemed to move in the corner, a figure appearing from them. Everyone seemed to pause at the sight, there actually was a Vampire in the compound. Itachi's eyes scanned the room, seeing the riot that was about to break out. "I order you all to sit still and be mindful of our guest." All the wolves did what they were told and the figure fully emerged from the shadows. Naruto and Kiba both stared with amazement at what they were seeing. It was Naruto's brother, Kyuubi.

The blond got up from his seat and rushed the Vampire. Kyuubi turned just in time to see a flash of blond overtake him. He hit the floor, having the wind that he didn't even know he had, knocked out of him. Naruto was sitting atop of his brother and while all the other wolves were looking for Itachi to see as to why Naruto was able to defy a direct order. The blond sniffled a little and the red head sat up a little, gently caressing his face. His touch was cold as ice and seemed to burn Naruto from the way his body tensed in pain. In actuality, it was just shocking to feel such a warm person's hand be so cold.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a Vampire?" Naruto yelled, tears rimming his eyes. Kyuubi made an amused face as he patted his brother's head.

"The same reason you didn't tell me you were a Werewolf." Naruto's expression changed from sad to one of a child getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He's cheeks slightly flushed and he huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I promise I won't tell mom and dad if you won't."

They shook hands. All the wolves felt strange seeing such camaraderie between two different species. Ignoring the fact they were brothers, they were completely shocked about it. Never had they seen a Werewolf and Vampire get along so well. This had happened before in previous families and it always ended in blood shed. This was not the case. How could this be? How could this happen?

"Times are changing, my dear pack. If that is no so evident by the display before you, perhaps I should explain." Itachi began as he stepped away from the podium and onto the floor. His hands were folded neatly behind his back and he looked straight out into the crowd of wolves. Kiba felt the draw again. He always did when Itachi would speak; there was such a power, an edge to his voice, it overtook his better sense and gave him such a stewing passion for his Alpha. "As we all know, Orochimaru has come back. He has also brought up a pack, one with great power. But they do not live by our rules. He is changing our species, making it abide by nothing more than a fantasy. We all know that without rules our society would collapse, too much bloodshed and hatred would pervade us, ripping us from the inside out."

All the wolves were silent, looking to their Alpha for guidance. There was a strength in his words, a power that brought them all together, see the same point. His eloquence was not so great as to make the more simple wolves feel left out. Itachi was able to encompass them all, making them all feel as one. It was obvious from his tone that he cared deeply about his pack.

"Orochimaru does not believe in our ideals. He believes that our race is the superior one and wishes to expose us to the world." There were gasps, murmurs, all invading the previous silence and filling it with a tense hum. Itachi raised his hand, calling for a silence. "We will not as statues and let him have his way. Our species depends on staying beneath the surface, a constant presence that is ignored. Human do not deal well with the truth, as we know, and if a massive war is waged on them and all the other creatures...I fear saying that there may be nothing left."

Everyone was silent when they heard that. They knew their existence was one of power, but also one to keep hidden. Their presence shouldn't be noticed. They needed to remain in the shadows to keep the balance in check. No one really thought of the implications behind such power.

"But we will not let that happen." Itachi said, his voice boomed in the silence and every wolf seemed to nod. "There has not been a great war like this in years. And I wished it would not have to come to this, but I fear, it will. One of Orochimaru's pack has been stalking and has even attacked one of our newest and most vulnerable members. I will not stand and let wolves of his caliber terrorize my pack. I will do whatever necessary to keep us all safe." Kiba felt awkward suddenly. It was technically his fault for this war. If he hadn't have been attacked then this would have probably never come to fruition. He hung his head lowly but Shino patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry..." Shino whispered to his mate. "Orochimaru needs to be taught a lesson. It was only a matter of time before things would get too out of hand. Do not feel as though this is your fault." Kiba looked up and his mate and they exchanged a very soft kiss. Shino was right, this wasn't his fault. Orochimaru was a monster among monsters, he needed to be stopped before more innocent people got hurt in the crossfire.

"That being said," Kyuubi interjected, "more than just wolves will want in on this fight." Everyone seemed to be surprised that the Vampire spoke out. "It is apparent Orochimaru will target more than humans. As a leader of the Vampire clan I will not sit by and allowed you to be alone on your venture. We, as Vampires, are completely willing to set aside our differences and lend you all the assistance necessary to ensure your victory against Orochimaru. Humans are too innocent for a war of this caliber, we need to nip this in the bud before it sucks in those who need not be involved. Warlocks, Faeries, Vampires, and Werewolves all need to become one force. We do not know the size and power of Orochimaru's influence so the war effort will need as much help as it can get."

Itachi and Kyuubi stood side by side, looking almost infinitely powerful. The determination was set in their faces making them look menacing, a force to be dealt with. This wasn't a simple scuffled between Kiba, Shino, and that other wolf. It was a war and that declaration was set right in Kiba's lap as soon as he was attacked.

All the wolves stood up, cheering and applauding loudly as Kyuubi and Itachi shook hands on their agreement. There was a cheeky, genuine smile on the red head's face that made the Alpha smile a little to himself. It reminded him so much of the past that it brought back all those warm feelings. If there was going to be a war, he was glad that Kyuubi would be at his side to help him throughout whatever troubles seemed to be looming at the entrance.

Shino gripped Kiba's hand tightly, making the wolf look over at his mate's face. There was a slight tenseness to Shino's brow and it almost pained Kiba to see it. How could he make his mate feel more calmed? There was a war looming in front of them and no doubt it was going to separate them. Shino was very powerful and close to Itachi. He would be needed in the effort, as would Sasuke and Sai.

"Shino..." The wolf placed a very steady finger upon Kiba's lips, effectively silencing him. He pulled it back and gave the most passionate kiss possible. Kiba's nerves felt as though they had been lit on fire as butterflies filled his stomach with the most pleasant of feelings. A slight burn came to his cheeks and he pulled away for some air. He couldn't help but come back to those lips though. They were his haven. Kiba melted, feeling as though his body was prickling with desire. How could he be separated from those lips? Even for a few hours? Or even days?

"Kiba, I know that this is going to be difficult but we mustn't give up hope. I will never desert you, nor will I ever leave your side for a single minute during the war. I plan to keep you within an arms reach, I don't care if Itachi forbids me my heart will not be separated from you. I promise that I will keep you safe and out of harms way, otherwise, Tsukiyomi can strike me down right now."

There was something in that sweet talk that made Kiba's face flush brightly. He kissed Shino again, this time without the need; it was a simple bit of love. That's all they would need to outlast this war.

"Kyuubi." The Uchiha had pulled him off to the side for a moment, allowing everyone to intermingle and speak with each other about what was going on with the plans for war.

"Yes Itachi." The red head smiled a little, trying to keep up his calm and unified facade. On the inside her nerves felt completely shot. He had been so nervous to speake to a room full of deadly werewolves. It would have only taken one of them to end his life completely. A bite from them had serious implications. Kyuubi didn't know if he would have been able to withstand one.

"You haven't spoken to your Vampire clan about this, how will you know that they're on board with the war?" Kyuubi patted Itachi on the shoulder. The Uchiha did not feel reassured in the least about the touch. There was no concreteness to it.

"Details, Itachi, details. Everything will work out. Vampires do not like being outdone by wolves and they also will not like the idea of their food source being wiped out. They will do whatever is necessary." Itachi rolled his eyes at Kyuubi's sureness. He had a feeling that dealing with this man and his clan would cause some snags, but hopefully nothing too major.  
-

"So it's a war they want, eh?" Orochimaru glared into his crystal ball, tossing it aside when he heard of Itachi's plan. It cracked from the sheer force of it hitting the ground, splitting down the middle. Though it had been a large convenience to be able to know what Itachi was planning in regards to him, he couldn't be more annoyed. Oh how could he make Itachi see the truth? How could he persuade such a powerful leader to his side? "Kabuto, how could Itachi be so cruel to me? How can I make him see what I do?"

The half-werewolf smiled a little as he glanced down at his Alpha. "Oh but my Lord, you already have all the abilities and assets to make him see the errors of his way. Flaws of his logic will be more than apparent to him if you are able to show them to him. Orochimaru, you must assert your dominance, your power, over Itachi to show him that he's wrong. You must grasp hold of him, shake him, until realization grips him with such a force that he cannot deny you any longer. This war my Lord...Is it not the perfect opportunity to make Itachi realize how wrong he really is? Your logic is unmatched. We all know that Werewolves are the superior race and that living by the rules given will only hinder our strengths."

"You flatter too much and are beating around the point." Orochimaru said as he stood up from his throne. He looked down slightly at Kabuto, a smirk on his lips. Though he may have wanted Kabuto to get to the point of his ramblings, he also liked them. The praise, the superiority over his Beta. He loved hearing his teachings, his logic dripping from the lips of his underlings. They all were so loyal to him. It was nice to have that reassuring regurgitation every now and again. "What is your point Kabuto?"

"Don't you think that if you showed Itachi your power that he would be far more pliant in accepting your ideals? And the best way to do that, my Lord, is with that disgusting Vampire. He shows a fondness for it that I cannot comprehend. Itachi is even willing to betray his kind and join forces with more unworthy monsters to try and destroy you. You must hit Itachi where it hurts the most, in his pride. Destroy the Vampire, my Lord, and show Itachi that our wolves are the meaning of destruction. That living by our ideals has made us strong, indestructibly so. We are the superior race within the race and it is time that Itachi learns that living and compromising with weak monster will only lead to downfall. He needs to know that your way is the best way and under your leadership this world will become one of wolves. We deserve this world, no one has the right to take it from us."

"Very well spoken my pet. And though I believe you're right, in every way. I'm already two steps ahead." Orochimaru picked up the crystal again. Frozen in place within the depths was a still shot of Itachi's face. The small smile that graced it sickened Orochimaru. That was not a face meant for a Vampire. A face like that should be reserved for him and him alone. Soon Itachi would fall from grace and his realization of the truth would be hard to swallow, but it was necessary. How could Orochimaru have the perfect bride if they didn't see eye to eye? Orochimaru whistled lowly in his throat and before he knew it a small group had gathered in front of him. Sakon and Ukon were leading the way followed by a boisterous bunch. Kabuto raised an eyebrow but then realized the implications of such a strong group of wolves. "I've already assembled a team to do just that. I just hadn't found the time. Though, I do suppose that no time is better than the present."

"Is it time, Lord Orochimaru?" The Alpha smirked down at the eager flash in Sakon's eyes. He was so willing to please it made Orochimaru quite happy. That willingness would take him very far in this world.

"Yes. Go forth and bring Uzumaki Kyuubi's life to an end. But remember to bring me the spoils of war. I want Uchiha Sasuke alive, I do not want him completely injured. Itachi will already be angry, I don't need to give him a better reason to resist me any longer." The four of them all nodded before bowing to their leader. To them Orochimaru's word was law and they would obey it to the line.

Sakon and Ukon, however, both had something else in mind. If they were to travel behind enemy lines to capture Itachi's Beta, why not capture the mate of Gamma as well? They let identical smirks sneak onto their lips and though Orochimaru saw them, he said nothing. Sure it was going to be slightly annoying that they would bring home a little something extra but that meant he would be able to see his creation again. It had been a very long time since he had been close to Shino and it may very well have been the time to reeducate him. The Uchiha teachings had made him soft no doubt, and if he wanted Kiba so badly, he would jump through as many hoops as he could to achieve that goal. Orochimaru knew that he would make the perfect soldier out of Shino and he needed Kiba to do it.  
-

**WAR! RUN AWAY!**

**Shino: I have such a bad feeling about what you're going to do in the next chapters.  
Me: Yeah, you probably should. Someone is going to die.  
Sasuke: It's not Naruto is it?  
Me: No.  
Shino: Kiba?  
Me: No.  
Sasuke: Sakon and Ukon?  
Me: I said someone, I count them as two people. LEARN TO READ SASUKE. I typed it in clear English.  
Sasuke: Your English SUCKS. You make the grammar gods weep!  
Me: THEY DESERVE IT FOR HAVING TOO MANY DUMB RULES...Anyway, this was Hitoko-sama.  
**


	14. Chapter 13

**Sorry about the extremely long wait. But now the newest chapter is here! Yayyy! I hope you enjoy it and check out the poll on my profile. Regular PV**

The wind came sweeping down through the trees, rustling and shifting the leaves, full and green by this time. It was supposed to be summer but there was a chill around this place, a chill that couldn't have a specific name. Kiba stared as Shino passed him. At this time they were waiting for Sasuke and Naruto to show up. It had been bestowed upon them to go lobbying around the faerie courts. Itachi had made it clear that they talk to no one but the Queen. Every other faerie would attempt to lead them astray and cause them to be eternally frenzied in a haze of pure terror and bliss. Apparently it wasn't entirely uncommon for faeries to take Werewolves in an attempt to create a pet out of them. From what Kiba had heard, they were gloriously beautiful creatures but their cruelty knew no limits. And they had a fondness for newly Turned wolves.

It was the peak of dawn as the sun christened the sky with multitudes of color, staining it with such a brilliant mixture that it started to almost seem surreal. Shino was pacing around, a small bell in his hand. Itachi, back when Sai had been a menace to the court, was given the bell by the faerie Queen and was promised a favor for his deed. It made Kiba wonder why Itachi hadn't gone himself, thinking, maybe, it would have been better if their Alpha pay this personal visit. Perhaps, Kiba mused, he didn't particularly favor the faerie Queen.

"Don't say it." Shino cut off as Kiba was about to open his mouth. For the past three minutes or so Kiba would ask Shino where Sasuke was. It made Shino uneasy to be constantly reminded that Sasuke still hadn't arrived. They were in the makings of a war now and to think about his Beta being kidnapped or worse…It hung heavily on his conscience. "Naruto is probably slowing them down. He doesn't like to get up in the mornings, we both know that." That was what he had been telling himself and Kiba every time. And he hoped it was true. Because if it wasn't…How was he supposed to break it to Itachi? And then also to Kyuubi? Shino didn't see how he would live through that experience, both of them would be furious.

"YO!" Both of the wolves turned and saw Naruto's spark of blond hair dotting towards them. Sasuke was casually walking behind him. A sense of relief flooded Kiba and Shino; they had been only waiting for them for a mere few minutes but so much could happen in that time that seeing their faces caused such a tension release.

Sasuke passed his way around the bubbly blond with that sense of grace and fluidity that was only seemingly possessed and used by an Uchiha wolf. He wasn't smiling or smirking at the two of them when he stopped and grabbed Naruto by the arm to steady him. "Sorry we're late." Sasuke gave a pointed glance towards his mate, who was now looking at the sky like he hadn't done anything. "Naruto decided to turn off my alarm last night as though we had nothing to do. It's bad enough we've got to go to the damn faerie court, it's even worse to be late. Give me the bell."

"But Sasuke!" Naruto whined as his mate given the bell by his Gamma. "You look so beautiful when you're sleeping in. I couldn't help myself."

Sasuke gave his mate a pointed glance and flicked him in the back of the head. "Hush you." The Uchiha looked at the small bell in his hands. "We all need to join hands otherwise only I'll be transported through the opening."

Kiba grabbed onto Shino's hand and felt a little heat rise in his cheeks. It felt strangely intimate to hold hands with Shino in front of everyone else but when Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's hand and then Shino's, it felt less and less like an embarrassing experience. Sasuke felt the small bell between his fingers and let out a calming breath. There was a small jingle from the bell and then it felt like it was echoing through the very core of everyone's bodies. It vibrated and actually caused Kiba to feel a little uneasy as though his stomach was doing cartwheels within his body. He actually had to close his eyes to keep the nausea at bay but when he reopened them, as the feeling in his gut dissipated, he was in a new surrounding.

Shino didn't let go of Kiba's hand as he looked around. They were underground now in a chasm between reality and almost illusion. The walls were sparkling with a gold flecked earth and were unnaturally lit. The light was eerie and almost a faded blue and purple combination; it was actually quite beautiful. Naruto gasped a little as he looked up towards the seeming to be lanterns. When Kiba finally caught a gaze at them he had to focus his eyes to actually see what it was. Small creatures, dripping with a greenish ooze were pinned to the walls by small, fragile looking wings. He could tell that most of them were dead, and the deadest ones were actually shining the brightest. It was as though their escaping life forces were causing this inhuman and inhumane shine.

"How could they do this to their own people?" Kiba muttered to no one in particular. The grip on his hand increased as Shino tensed a little and he could feel the anger coming off of his mate. The sheer disregard for life, and not even other life, but the life of their own people made him sick to his stomach. Shino looked over at Sasuke, who had Naruto clutched to his arm, a horrified look upon the blond's face.

"Let's keep moving…" Sasuke announced finally and Kiba almost felt glad to focus on something other than the grotesque beauty that seemed to exist in the depths of the rabbit hole. It was a surreal experience as they pressed forward, passing inhuman yet human looking things as they walked through the corridors of the chasm. One of them in particular would stick in Kiba's mind for years to come. As he, or what looked like a he, wandered by them, he smiled. The teeth inside that mouth were needle points, looking more like glassy ice than actual enamel. It was even more startling with his sparkling, white skin and short frosty blue hair. For some reason, besides the sheer and utter shock Kiba felt looking at him, he was still somehow beautiful. His body seemed invitingly cruel with the intentions of his steps and the sheen of his eyes.

"Finally I've found you." Said a voice coming from behind them. They all turned to see a very tall, muscular man. He was decked in finely crafted armor, it was a soft golden green color and was sculpted with leaf looking decals, all painstakingly swooping from the tree which was in the middle. He was frowning at them, his green hair falling around his eyes and cupping his rounded face. The only pointed feature he had was his ears, which shot up from the striking hair. "Young Uchiha, very daring of you to bring yourself and others into the faerie court…Unannounced." He added the last part, glaring at them with his words and pointed tone. "The Queen is ready to see you now however, so if you will, follow me."

As though they hadn't seen it before, a curtain laid before them. It seemed to shimmer with an orange and black sheen but upon closer inspection, it was the flapping, frantic wings of butterflies. They had been strung into long strands almost as if they were meant to be strings and then sown together to make the living curtain. It was demented and as Kiba passed through it, he avoided the flapping wings as best as he could.

"Well, well. Itachi's Beta has appeared to finally grace me with his presence. Pray tell, why has your master not come to see me in person? I do miss such a beautiful face…" The faerie Queen said as she looked over at Sasuke. She was laying on a white couch looking object that seemed to almost be carved out of bone. The ivory sculpted material swooped and dipped with swirling and well crafted designs that were hard to follow. But at the end, where the ivory straightened itself, had the pointed bony fingers of a human hand. Her gown was the only spark of color, a deep forest green than hung loosely around her body and was tightened only around her bosom, which, like the rest of her skin was pure, powdered snow white. Her long copper hair was tightly and uniformly braided, swooping to the floor and curling on top of it. She smiled and those needle white teeth came into view. She was disgustingly beautiful. "Young wolf, what service does your Alpha wish from me? Surely the reason he called upon this favor now would be that it truly serves to greatly benefit him."

Kiba didn't know why but she bothered him. There was such a derisive manner in which she almost objectified Itachi and addressed Sasuke; it made his blood boil. She turned her head slightly to look at them and smiled. There was something about this situation that really started to tug at Kiba's nerves, like she knew something that they didn't. The way she picked her words almost seemed to signal that she knew Itachi was in need of her aid as an ally against Orochimaru. She seemed to almost tip-toe around it, like she had all the time in the world to talk and dance around the issues.

"Itachi has sent me to garner your aid, milady. Orochimaru is a zealot Werewolf who has been raising an army of rogue wolves. He wants t-"

"To destroy every other race besides his own." She interrupted Sasuke and then smiled at him again. "I'm quite aware of the situation. But, I fear I cannot be of any service to you in this battle. I have not been assured so much that Itachi will win this. It cannot be foreseen that he will or will not lose and that's far to great of a risk for me and my people to take."

"But he'll slaughter your people!" Naruto cried out, his tone exasperated and angry. Kiba wasn't surprised by the outburst and no one else seemed to be either. Sasuke tapped his foot for a moment, seeming to stomp out the rage brewing in his body and calmed himself down.

"I care not." She replied as she reached for a crystalline glass sitting on a table next to her head. "Unlike you and your kind, mine are strong and do not have to rely on the help of others to stomp-out a menace. We're vast in number and are exceptionally resourceful. Just because I owe Itachi a favor doesn't mean he'll receive it." Everyone was silent as she took a sip from her glass. "If and when Orochimaru comes knocking, I will put an end to him."

"Then why not do it now?" Sasuke pressed, his tone getting a little more irritated with each passing word. "It will save you time."

"I have nothing but time, little boy." She said as she glanced at him, an uppity sheen in her eyes. "Or have you forgotten? We faeries live far, far longer than you do. I have all the time in the world…Even when your war has long been over and all the victors put in the ground, I will still be here. That is why I do not care for your petty squabbles; in the end, all that will be left is us and our stories."

"So there's no changing your mind…" Sasuke muttered a little defeated. He knew his brother wouldn't be angry with him for not gaining the faerie Queen's support but he felt disappointed in himself for failing. The Queen's golden eyes flickered for a moment as she stared at Sasuke, a small smirk coming to her cherry lips.

"Well," That had everybody's attention. Having support from the faerie Queen could tip the balance in the war. If Orochimaru's forces were outnumbered and overpowered, then he could be completely demolished. "I may consider doing it if you were to fulfill your own favor first…I've been lacking a companion." No one liked where this was going or the way she seemed to eye Kiba and then Naruto. She knew they were new wolves and the smirk on her lips wouldn't dissipate. "The blond one," Kiba felt a sudden sense of relief from not being picked but Naruto tensed up like no other. Sasuke's eye were already shinning with anger and the feeling coming off his body was of an encroaching attack. "I would gladly lend you a few soldiers if you let me have him."

Sasuke's jaws were snapping at her as he growled lowly, pushing his mate behind him in a display of aggressive resistance. Kiba felt a hand go to his back, grabbing at the back of his shirt and pulling him closer. Kiba could tell that the Queen would go for him next. She was playing mind games with them. She knew they needed help and would do almost anything to get it but some things couldn't be done. Some things couldn't be given up. "Forget it! You can have my mate when my body is cold and lifeless."

"Oh how feisty for a second rank. And selfish, I thought your brother needed me. But I suppose its better if you disappoint him." She mocked and then she waved her hand dismissively. "I think we're finished here. You have nothing to offer me, we have nothing to offer you."  
-

"Hn." Itachi grunted as he and Kyuubi made their way into an abandoned apartment complex. It was overrun with the smell of aged and rotting blood. There was a pile of bodies in the corner, covered in glamour so that the garbage men would pick them up without being any wiser. The smell of Vampires was so strong to Itachi that he couldn't help but let the occasional growl in his throat come out.

"What is it?" Kyuubi asked as he pulled a key out of his pocket and led them up a rickety stair case. Vampires obviously didn't use this staircase unless they were with a human victim or subjugate. They could easily just jump up to the top. Kyuubi opted to take them since Itachi didn't have the super strength to allow such a large jump.

"The faerie Queen would only help us if we gave her Naruto in exchange." Itachi muttered. "I knew I should have gone in person. I could have serviced her or something of the sort and not had her play such games with Sasuke."

Kyuubi paused for a moment and looked at the Uchiha. "She isn't just playing with you and Sasuke. She's trying to get on my nerves as well. She knows Naruto's my little brother and ever since I accidentally ate one of her Changelings, she's been trying to get me back. Keeping Naruto as a pet would serve that purpose." The red head huffed a little. "We all know that Naruto's a bleeding heart and if it would serve to benefit us all, he may have agreed to it. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt, especially not Sasuke or any of his friends. He knows that faeries on our side could easily tip the war in our favor…"

Itachi couldn't help but think that Kyuubi would do the same in that situation. He probably would too, if it wasn't so important that he control his clan of Vampires. He would do whatever he could to beat Orochimaru and keep the world in balance.

"Master…" There was much hissing coming from the darkness surrounding them and Itachi's ears were perked up as the smell of copper blood intensified. He was trying his best to keep calm and suppress the claws and fangs that were burning to come out and fight these children of the night. "Have you gone mad? Bringing a wolf into our domain is certain death. That wish is most unbecoming on you…"

Kyuubi started to hiss at the crowd of blood-sucking monsters around him and they all backed away, hissing in return. The Vampire who spoke stepped forward into the small crack of light. The bulb hung from a cord in the ceiling and was swinging as shadowed beasts swooped past it, all gathering on the ground to see their leader falling in league with their hated predator. He was staring at his master, fangs dripping venom because of the natural urge to fight. Black dyed hair was hanging in his eyes which glowed unnaturally bright in the dim light making the pale, almost translucent color of his skin stand out less and less. His dark clothes made it seem that only his skin and eyes were coming out of the darkness, not an entire body. It was a frightening prospect, Itachi mused, because all you saw before the attack was only a blur of monstrous humanity.

"How many of you wish to die?" All of them looked at each other, some of them tensing up. The hissing ceased as they drew their attention towards Kyuubi, almost begrudgingly listening to what he had to say. "I would assume that none of you want to die, that none of you wish to die. With the way things are now, we can live comfortably. Dare I say that our kind has never lived this well within a treaty. However…" Statues, that's how all of them looked. So deathly still as they listened to their master. It made Itachi tense up even more. Vampires moved so quickly that if he wasn't ready and one attacked, he would be done. "A threat has come into our shared territory," Kyuubi glanced briefly at Itachi and then looked back at his clan. "He will kill all of us because of what we are."

All of them started to talk and hiss, causing a great commotion within the room. Most of them were moving around, breaking their statue like appearance. There were a very large volume of Vampires in this compound and it was disturbing to hear all the anger coming from within the dark.

Kyuubi hissed loudly and all of them silenced themselves. "The treaty between our kind and the Werewolves has allowed us to pick up arms and fight together for we have much to lose if we don't. The wolves of this area are ready to fight with us to protect the balance and lives we've worked so hard to maintain. So, tell me now, who will sit idly by and let our kind be stomped out?" Many voices shouted back, all of them almost entranced by Kyuubi's voice and call to action. "Who will answer this call and sully the Earth with the blood of the wolves?"

Itachi cleared his throat behind Kyuubi and he thought for a moment. "Sully the Earth with the blood of the menace…" He corrected himself with a smile towards his wolf companion. Itachi rolled his eyes and smirked a little. A few little whispers engulfed them and Kyuubi hissed some more. "My clan, we are strong and ready, this demonic wolf spawn will be eliminated before he can decapitate a single member of our family."

Itachi stared at Kyuubi, he seemed so powerful in this moment, having a huge clan of Vampires under his control. And none of them had attacked Itachi even though they knew what he was. It was that command of respect and control that must have made Kyuubi grab their attention. He was a firecracker, even when he was a human, and he knew that someone like Kyuubi always made a good leader.

The red head turned towards his companion, the Vampire from earlier standing beside him and staring at Itachi. This must have been Kyuubi's second-in-command and now that he was fully in the light, he looked as though he was a boy of sixteen. So young and innocent when he was bitten and Turned. "Katsu, while I'm out, I'm leaving you in charge; take much care and watch for my signal. This war has been brewing for the last couple weeks and there's no telling when the first move will be made. But, if something does happen, contact me immediately. I want us to be ready to fight at a moment's notice." The Vampire turned towards Kyuubi and nodded.

"We have a feeding party out at the moment and if they return missing a member, or have been attacked, or see any wolf that doesn't smell Uchiha, I'll make sure to notify you." Katsu replied as he made a slight bow towards Kyuubi. He nodded his head and grabbed onto Itachi's arm, leading him away from the group of Night's children.

"Have you spoke with Tsunade already?" Itachi questioned as they passed back through the abandoned complex. Kyuubi nodded his head and grabbed a phone from his pocket. He sent a message and smiled over at Itachi.

"She was waiting for us to finish so she could zap us to her apartment." And as soon as those words were spoken, Itachi and Kyuubi both felt a sinking feeling in their stomachs as they were transported to Tsunade.

Itachi landed on his feet and hands, crouched over but feeling much more solid that Kyuubi, who landed on his face. The Vampire looked up from his spot and glared at the Warlock woman. She was frowning a little as she walked out of a chalk circle on the floor.

"Bad news boys, the Chamber of Seven doesn't want Warlocks to engage in combat with the wolves. They believe that this issue will resolve itself." Tsunade said as she grabbed Kyuubi by the arm and lifted him from the floor.

"Great…" Itachi muttered. "The faeries aren't going to help us either."

"I could have told you that much." Tsunade muttered as she walked over to her work table. There was a few strange looking ingredients and something that shined and made Itachi's skin itch just by looking at it. "However…They never forbad the Warlocks from helping you though, so I've been working hard on making things for your clan Kyuubi." She grabbed a small paper bag and handed it to the Vampire, who shoved his hand in and started to laugh as he pulled out a small, silver thimble.

"Silver fang caps?" Kyuubi tossed one up and caught it, smiling. "Oh these will do nicely."

"Just be a little careful with them, will you? These can burn Vampires too, Kyuubi. So make sure that if they start to hurt you, take them off." Tsunade scolded a little and the red head stuck out his tongue a little.

"I know, I know. They're just kinda cool…"

They heard the door open behind them and a man came out of the bathroom, brushing his shirt off and looking out into the living room. "You keep the strangest company." Itachi could tell, just from the smell of him, that he was a Warlock. They always smelled like fire, herbs, and chalk. He was tall, even for a Warlock, his hair black as night and seemingly stuck up in every direction possible. He was wearing glittering black eyeliner that made his cat eyes seem more like a gimmick instead of a natural birth defect. His shirt was neon purple and matched with bright green, skin tight jeans. Eccentric was a good word for him. "A Vampire and a Werewolf. How fun. You must invite me to one of your parties Tsunade, they must be filled with such interesting creatures."

"Oh, I hadn't been expecting you to come this early, or through my bathroom." Tsunade muttered as she went to her work desk and grabbed a small bag. She tossed it to him and he smirked a little.

"Ah perfection, yet again. Thank you Tsunade." He muttered as he pushed the bag into his pocket. "I hope everything goes well as you fight your apocalypse. See ya!" In a sparkly cloud of smoke, the Warlock disappeared.

"He was the one who got me all of that silver to make the caps." Tsunade said. "I provided him with a few items in exchange. Seems to me that he's going to summon a demon or something like that…" She turned back to look at the two of them. "Do you need anything else? Because there's not much else I can do."

"No, just be in reach of a phone incase someone gets hurt. That's all."  
-

Shino was standing at the window of Sasuke's room, pacing around every so often, waiting. Itachi had called and told them about what provision and groups they had been able to get. Just Kyuubi's Vampire clan and silver caps they couldn't even use, that was all. Sai had been running around all day trying to get in contact with the other wolf Elders, but apparently they had all gone into hiding as soon as Orochimaru's name was mentioned. No one wanted to deal with this, but Itachi's pack seemed to be the only ones ready to take this head on.

"This isn't fair." Kiba said as he sat down on Sasuke's bed with the blond. Naruto was still a little shaken from the encounter with the faerie Queen, but didn't say anything about it. "Why is no one helping us? Do they not get that this involves every race?"

"They don't think Orochimaru is that big of a threat," Sasuke muttered. "and what's more is that he's only targeting us for the time being. But if we do lose, and Itachi is either killed or mated off to Orochimaru, we'll have to stand with him. And we're a large pack. If that cycle continues, Orochimaru's army of wolves will become HUGE and he may actually reach his goal."

"I don't want to keep sitting around doing nothing," Shino said as he finally took a seat with the rest of his friends. "I feel like if we just sit here and wait then Orochimaru just plots and plots. We don't know whether or not he's making the first move or if we're going to have to just jump to arms at a moment's notice. It's driving me nuts."

Kiba knew that feeling as well. That restlessness had been burning in his stomach as soon as Kyuubi and Itachi had made their stances clear. It was going to be war, and it wasn't going to be pretty, in fact some of them might not be coming back. And that was a risk everyone was willing to take. The balance of the world wasn't something to take lightly and if all the races started allying with each other and just getting into random battles, there would be nothing left. Every human who was caught in the crossfire wouldn't know what to do and would more than likely die ignorant of why this was all happening. There was just too much at stake, too much to lose if Orochimaru won. They had to make their moves carefully and since every other race wasn't going to help, they had to rely on their own strengths. It was just scary to think that they may lose, that they may start an all out war between everyone and everything.

"Shino, be patient." Sasuke said as he put a comforting hand on Shino's shoulder. The touch visibly calmed him and he sighed a little. "We know Orochimaru will make the first move, he's a coward. He'll want to hit us hard enough to hurt so we can't fight back as well. But the real question is when."

"I think it'll be soon." Kiba nearly whispered. Everyone turned to look at him, feeling the tenseness return. "I don't know why, but everyone is so restless as it is that I can't see him not making a move soon. He's selfish and wants everything for himself, and he'll want it quickly. He's been waiting long enough…"

They were all silent after that statement. All of them knew it to hold some truth. As soon as they found out Orochimaru was alive, that stress and edginess came to every wolf. The urge to end him had become too much to bare. Everyone wanted it to be over, it almost hurt how much that urge consumed them. Shino looked at Sasuke and they seemed to be exchanging information because their eyes would flutter over to their mates before coming back to meet each other. Kiba wished he had a connection like that, that no words had to be spoken to get a point across. But he had a feeling this was something he wasn't supposed to hear.

Naruto leaned forward. "They're trying not to freak you out. And I think I already know what they're telling each other. I overheard Sasuke and Itachi speaking about hiding the females and the children so they wouldn't get in the middle of the fighting. You and I won't be in this battle…"

"WHAT?" Kiba was outraged by what he heard from the blond. Shino and Sasuke both stopped and looked at the blond, who just laid back with a shrug. "Why didn't you tell me that I wasn't going to be with you? No, I can't accept this, I'm going with you. I'm not letting you go out there alone. Naruto, you agree with me right?"

"We have no choice in the matter." Naruto replied. "I've already fought with Sasuke over it and I don't want to anymore."

"Naruto's right, and I have no urge to fight with Kiba about this..." Sasuke said with a slight sigh. "Shino you need to explain to him what a liability he'd be to you, as Naruto is to me." The Uchiha took the blond's hand and Naruto seemed a little angry but kept silent as they entwined their fingers.

"Liability? Is that what I am to you Shino?" Kiba asked, his voice sounded a bit crushed and his heart seized up in his chest.

Shino grabbed Kiba's hand and took him out of the room. Liability wasn't the word he would use to describe what Kiba meant to him, or how much the pain would be if Kiba was hurt or lost. Shino couldn't imagine what his life would be like without his mate. But he knew Kiba was upset by hearing that he couldn't venture with Shino. It wasn't very good to keep a secret like that but it was for Kiba's protection. That deformed wolf pair would be gunning for Kiba, especially if Shino was injured or unable to protect him. Not to mention that Kiba hadn't perfected his changed state, he wouldn't be able to fight as it was.

Kiba was being dragged by his wrist and he wanted to just rip himself from Shino's grip and shove him against the wall. Shino couldn't treat him like this, they were mates now and he wasn't a little kid. He was strong and he could handle this war just as Shino could. He wanted to be by Shino's side during the battle and Kiba couldn't just sit idly on his ass and wait for everything to resolve. It was too much for him to bare, he needed to be with his mate.

They entered the reserved room for Shino when he wanted to stay with Sasuke and he tossed Kiba onto the bed like a rag doll. "What the fuck?" But before he could say more to Shino, the wolf was atop him. He was being pinned down by his wrists and being that close to his mate made his head swim as the fire entered his gut. There was desire that he couldn't exactly name but when Shino's lips encased Kiba's he just let that desire overtake him.

Shino's lips were hot against his own, his body temperature always seeming to be over the normal and it made Kiba's entire body relax. He hadn't even realized how much he loved this taste, this feeling until it was overriding his system. It just felt good to exchange this kiss, like he and Shino were connecting on a deeper level. They had already made love and Kiba was again feeling that urge to be filled fully by that love. Shino's lips broke away from Kiba's so he could bite and nip at the base of his neck, around the still sensitive mating mark. Kiba moaned when he felt teeth scraping against it and he shifted around lustfully to get a full feel of his mate.

When Shino finally pulled back, Kiba was left a little breathless and hot for more but Shino didn't want to do that now. That kiss was all of those feelings, the ones that were left silent, and it was an apology for his silence. He shouldn't have left Kiba in the dark. But if anything were to happen to Kiba…

"I'm sorry." Shino started and the brunet snapped back into his right mind. He was supposed to be angry with his mate, not trying to get into his pants. "Sasuke didn't explain what he meant very well. Naruto and him already have an unspoken language between them and though they do fight often, they always know where they stand with each other. And Naruto already agreed to hang back after Sasuke explained it to him fully…So I'm hoping you'll do the same."

"Shino…"

"No, just let me explain first." Shino said as he grabbed onto Kiba's hand, pulling him a little closer. "When we became mates, it made us both extremely vulnerable. You because of what you had to go through as a new wolf. And me because of how much I love you." Kiba was a bit stunned by the words that came out of Shino's mouth, they were so blunt and he felt his heart thundering in his chest. "Thinking about you on the battlefield, being injured or captured…or killed. It distracts me. If you were with me, I would spend all my time trying to protect you and not focusing on the enemies. It could very well be disastrous for both of us." Shino paused for a moment and Kiba felt the burn in his chest of guilt. He didn't even think about it, he just wanted to be by Shino's side. "Even the thought of losing you is too much for me to stand. If I can keep you safe, I will. If I have to lock you away and hold the key, I will. If I have to break both of your arms and legs so you won't leave, I will. Do you see it now? Do you see why? You're far too precious and vulnerable to let on the battlefield. I would die without you…"  
-

Kyuubi and Itachi walked into the house and sighed. They hadn't gotten as much support for the war effort so it mostly rested on their shoulders. Sai walked up to his Alpha, he was a little exhausted looking. Large bags under his eyes, a little more pale in the face than normal. "All the Elders won't speak with me. As soon as I mention Orochimaru, they hang up on me."

Itachi patted Sai on the head for his efforts. "Thank you Sai. I suppose this is a matter I must handle in person. Go get Sasuke and Shino, I want all my higher-up with me."

The raven nodded his head and disappeared upstairs. Kyuubi was biting at his nails and he glanced over at Itachi. "Do you think Orochimaru will attack soon?"

The Uchiha shrugged. "I don't think that he meant for the war to happen this quickly. I really believe that he was willing to wait even longer but as soon as one of his wolves went into our territory and blew his cover, he had to do something. Besides, I can tell he was planning on doing something to me and my pack. We never found his body. I could just feel that he was alive…Hiding somewhere."

A knock at the door broke Itachi's attention away from Kyuubi but the two of them were tense. The smell was of a Werewolf, but it wasn't any one in Itachi's pack. Could this be it? A formal declaration of war? Somehow Itachi doubted it, but who knew. Orochimaru was a little crazy and there was no telling if he was doing it as a way to draw Itachi out for an actual attack.

Itachi braced himself as he walked to the door, Sasuke and Shino coming down the stairs with Sai following behind them. Kyuubi was standing in the living room and he was just watching the door. Sasuke came up to the red head and he pointed towards the door, where his brother was tentatively reaching out for the door knob. Sasuke's entire body tensed up when he smelled the air. Shino and Sai both followed that and small growls were building in their throats. Kyuubi flexed his hand, allowing the claws to grow long and sharp. He was poised for the attack, if there was one. He couldn't allow Itachi to be hurt.

Itachi thought about throwing the door open and attacking before the other could but decided against it. If this was a peaceful affair then he better not ruin it. When he finally opened the door, relief flooded him. It was one of his fellow Elders, Pein. "Itachi, took you long enough. I need to speak with you." Pein paused a little as he smelled Itachi a little more. "You reek of Blood Sucker venom." The Uchiha raised an eyebrow and moved out of the way so his colleague could come inside. Pein glanced over at Kyuubi and smirked a little. "Oh, I see now."

"What is it you need to talk about?" Itachi asked, a little annoyance coming into his tone. It wasn't that he didn't like Pein but he was still trying to keep whatever he had with Kyuubi under wraps. It wasn't in any means traditional or accepted in Werewolf or Vampire culture. "I was actually about to come and see the council…"

"That's actually what I'm here about." Pein said as he looked around the room, taking a seat on a black leather sofa in the middle of the room. Sasuke moved into the room, Shino and Sai following behind him, and they joined their Alpha. Sasuke sat down next to his brother and Itachi briefly petted his little brother, slowly letting his Beta relax into the touch. "Listen Itachi, I don't think you should contact them anymore. It's been relayed to me that Orochimaru's influence is starting to break in…"

"What?!" Itachi was purely shocked by that. He would have never thought Orochimaru would get his holdings in the council after he killed some of their members. How could this be possible?

"I know…I was surprised too." Pein said as shook his head. "But if you think about it, it makes sense. They've been refusing to take your calls, correct? The only reason I didn't take it was because they were with me and I didn't need to risk blowing my cover. That's why I'm here now." He licked his lips. "Itachi I'm going to give you as much support as you need…But we cannot be seen talking to each other anymore from this moment. I already fear I've overstayed my welcome…My Beta, he's…I don't know. He isn't obeying my command anymore and I think he's become a sympathizer. And if I don't return soon, I fear he may betray and kill me to gain leadership."

"But how could Tobi do such a thing? He never seemed like the type…" Itachi muttered as Sasuke started to snuggle closer to his brother, feeling the tenseness coming off of him. Itachi buried his nose into his little brother's hair, a small patch of relief coming from his Beta. He knew Sasuke would never betray him…

"I have to go now…" Pein seemed a little more jumpy as the moments passed and Itachi could feel a strange presence outside. "I left Konan outside."

"Pein…If you need to stay here there is space available for you and your mate. We won't let anything happen to you."

Pein turned away from Itachi as he stood up. "I've got to go…Just be careful, alright?" Itachi stood up too and he was about to snatch his colleagues sleeve but he pulled away from the Uchiha. "Whatever happens Itachi, just remember that my pack is yours to control. Or at least what's left of it. They'll arrive by tomorrow for further instructions. I place my trust in you Itachi."

Everyone felt awkward in the silence that pursued after Pein left out the front door. Itachi felt compelled to go after him. That presence outside hadn't left yet and he couldn't help but feel that he was being watched. He didn't like it. If Pein was in danger and every other council member had fallen to the wayside, then who did he have left?

"Itachi…" Sasuke muttered against his brother's arm. "What are you going to do now?"

Itachi turned his head towards his brother and kissed the top of his head. "Whatever I can, Sasuke."

Kyuubi walked into the room and sat down next to his Werewolf companion and sighed a little. "This isn't turning out as glorious and awesome as I imagined." Itachi nodded his head. He wasn't expecting everyone to jump on the horse and help but he didn't think things would turn out like this. Nothing was happening as he thought it would. Who knew that it would get this bad so quickly? It felt like the world had turned its back and just left them alone. He had never felt this alone with so many people around him before.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice cut through the silence and everyone instantly perked up. Sasuke was on his feet before the echoing even finished and he ran as quickly as he could. His mate was obviously in trouble and if anything happened to him. He would murder anyone who got in his way to save the blond. Naruto powered his way down the stairs coming to a halt halfway down. His face was cut at the forehead and blood trickled right above his eyes. "Sasuke! GET SHINO NOW!"

"What's going on?" Sasuke yelled back and the blond fell to his knees on the stairs, tears springing in his eyes as he looked at his mate.

"It's Kiba, he's gone. I heard glass breaking and I went in to check on him and he was gone. But when I went to open the door I got smashed in the head by someone…I didn't see who." He choked on his sobs and Sasuke grabbed his mate, licking the blood off his face.

Shino was already running down the hall as soon as Naruto said Kiba was missing. He couldn't believe it, his worst fears were coming to life. And it hurt, it hurt so bad. His mate was gone but he wouldn't let whoever did it get too far. The door was ajar and he stepped inside, panting with the fear and anxiety building up in his veins. The window was smashed in, glass was everywhere. Naruto's blood was splattered in a tiny puddle by the door frame and a small bed-side table had been what he had been hit with.

The scent in the room was multiple wolves, one of them was that pair of deformed wolf. He had come for Kiba and he had taken him right from Shino's nose. And now his mate was gone. Shino walked to the window and he noticed that there was no definite scent trail, whoever else had been with that damn wolf had made sure to cover their tracks. There wasn't even a scent from Kiba outside. Shino bit down on his lip as Sai and Itachi walked up behind him.

"Sai, go with Shino to find Kiba." Itachi commanded, his tone elevated because of how angry he was. He had let one of his wolves be stolen from right under his nose. And there was no excusable situation for it either, he had failed his pack and as a leader. He needed to rectify this mistake as soon as possible.

"It's already too late." Shino said as he walked away from the window. "The scent is dead. They did something to scatter their trail."  
-

Pein walked up to the lair and Orochimaru was standing in front of it, smirking at the wolf. The pale wolf was slowly moving up to his new found companion. "Very well done. Very well indeed. I assume Itachi doesn't suspect a thing?"

"Of course not. He believes that he cannot trust the council and that I'm not going to help him." Pein muttered, tasting the bile like sting on the back of his throat. It was guilt and that horrid taste of betrayal. He frowned a little, a glare coming to his features. "I've done what you asked of me, where is my mate?"

Orochimaru smirked wider and directed him towards the entrance of his lair. "Go right on in. She's been waiting for you."

Pein walked inside and he saw Konan, his blue hair sullied and clumped with blood. Her throat was ripped out, teeth obviously the culprit because of the deepness and marks. The heavily pierced wolf ran to his mate, feeling an instant pain and anger rising in his body. She was just killed, otherwise he would have felt it earlier. Mates always know when the other dies. He picked up her stiff body and hugged it to himself.

"Oh Pein, you should have known that I don't trust you. Especially since you like Itachi so much." Orochimaru said with a shrug. Pein was ignoring him, that pain overwhelming his other senses. He knew he was in danger but what was the point of living when your mate wasn't going to be in the world with him? His smelled the air and his Beta slowly approached him. His scent was also all over Konan, he was the one who killed her. "I think you've ruled long enough Pein…Tobi, put an end to him."

Pein just sat there as his masked Beta came crouching closer and closer. His body was morphing and before he knew it, there was a claw against his throat. Pein didn't care though. If he couldn't be with his mate in life, he would join her in death, as custom. He closed his eyes and let his Beta release the life within his body.

"Finally! I'm an Alpha and it feels so good. You were right all along Orochimaru." Tobi turned around and he felt a hand go through his chest, making him stumble backwards as he pulled the appendage out of himself. Orochimaru's hand flashed with more than blood and Tobi noticed, when the burning pain filled his system, that Orochimaru had painted his claws with silver. He was laughing and laughing.

"You fool, you foolish little monster." Orochimaru grabbed Tobi by his arm, pulling him up so they could make eye contact. "Killing your Alpha was just a ploy, I wanted his pack and you were the idiot to give it to me. You've betrayed your pack, your Alpha, and now you will die."

Tobi seized up as the silver poisoned more and more of his blood. It was burning and stinging in his veins. There was so much pain filling him and he instantly felt regret from killing his Alpha. He should have known that betrayal this deep would have consequences from the universe. Karma was a bitch.

Orochimaru dropped Tobi's lifeless body and exhaled. He could feel the power of Pein's pack enter him. That's what happened when you became a new Alpha or had more wolves join you. The power came all at once and Orochimaru limbs were shaking with the power at his finger tips. Tomorrow, when Pein's pack came to help Itachi, he would take control over them. And then Itachi would be completely at his mercy.-

**SHIT GOT REAL!**

**Also, if you know who the Warlock that stopped into Tsunade's house was, I'll forever love you :D It's a Cassandra Clare reference, just for hints.**

**Itachi: What are you doing?  
Shino: Searching. -is looking under the bed- Hitoko-sama hid Kiba in real life imagination as well  
Itachi:Really? She's vengeful lately.  
Shino: I have so much hate for her right now…-goes to search more-  
Me: Hey Itachi. -with ice cream and Kiba-  
Itachi: Shino is looking for him…  
Me: Really? We were just out getting food…I should actually hide him to piss Shino off  
Kiba: Don't do it! He'll kill you  
Me:…And then Kiba found himself in a forest…  
Itachi: You and that forest  
Me: Don't make me send you there…This was Hitoko-sama.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Man, oh man, I really hope all of my lovely bros are ready for this update and can forgive me while I was away and being a butt at college. I love you guys, you're my world. So, anyway, regular PV  
-**

Kiba's eyes cracked open and he groaned feeling his body weighted down with the grogginess of his mind and the stiffness of his muscles. He coughed, slouching over on himself and looked at his surroundings. His senses started going haywires as adrenaline flooded his veins, making his new instincts kick to life. A harsh, defensive growl broke through the silence as he got to his feet. What had happened? He had only been alone five minutes, tops. And now he had no idea where he was, who had taken him…Well he had an idea about how could have concocted such a scheme. Kiba felt an ache of longing in his chest. He already missed his mate and could feel the pain Shino was feeling. How was it that they were so connected now? Was it like this before? Kiba couldn't tell. The past few weeks blurred together in a whirlwind of knowledge, experiences, love, and terror. The farther he felt from his mate though, the more empty and scared Kiba felt. He didn't want to be separated from Shino and his heart blistered with longing now that they were more than an arm's reach away.

However, Kiba knew that wasn't the most important thing going on. Shino would no doubt be looking for him and that might just lead him and whatever other forces into a trap. He cursed under his breath and looked at his surroundings, hoping to gather something about where he was and how he could possibly get out of here unscathed. He was in a dank cell with hard concrete walls, scattered with claw marks from desperate wolves trying to free themselves. He gulped a little and turned his attention towards the bars. He reached out to touch them, wondering if he could force them open with his strength. Kiba yelped with pain, pulling his hand back, cursing. The bars were silver, pure silver which meant he couldn't touch them, let alone force them open. There was really no telling what could happen to him if he stayed here a minute longer and that really could spell trouble, especially if he and Shino were so…Connected. Kiba smirked to himself a little and closed his eyes. He and Shino were connected, they shared their thoughts now. He could try to reach his mate, call for him, and make him come. _"Shino…Shino, please, I need you. Please hear me…" _

To be honest Kiba wasn't a hundred percent sure about how this was exactly supposed to work. It just seemed like Shino would know where he was and come to save him. But then again all the times this had happened, he had been at home. "Well fuck…" Kiba muttered as he sat down on the small cot again, noting how uncomfortable it was and thanking his lucky stars that he had been passed out while he had to sleep on this. What was he going to do now? He barely remembered what happened to him. He was laying in the bed where Shino decided to speak with him about fighting and then Shino left to go and speak with Itachi. He had been alone for a few minutes when he saw someone break into the window, and before he could do anything his mouth and nose were covered with a cloth that reeked with an unfamiliar scent. It knocked him out though so he wondered if it was some kind of chemical specifically designed for werewolves or just chloroform. He didn't know, this was the first time he had even been kidnapped. Hopefully it was also the _last_ time.

"Finally, you're awake." Kiba's heart was chilled when he heard that voice. Even though he knew Sakon and Ukon were the ones who either executed his capture and or asked for it to be completed, he was still chilled to the bone whenever he heard their voices. It had been a while since he had seen them and he hadn't gotten much stronger since that day. The brunette swallowed the dry lump in his throat and glanced towards the bars of his cell. Sakon was staring directly at him, smirking widely, and seeming to be extremely satisfied with himself. Of course he would be since he had finally managed to capture Kiba. In the brunet's head he qualified how easily captured he was by saying his emotional state left him unguarded and that Shino had been distracted at that time. Sakon and Ukon wouldn't have gotten away so easily if this had been any other time. But the weird thing about it was that he hadn't sensed them, Hell, he didn't even _smell _them. It wasn't a complete surprise that the kidnapping had gone so well for them. Kiba refused to respond to Sakon and chose then to turn away from the wolf, not wanting to look at him either. He had the snapping of jaws and the rattle of the cell door so when he turned Sakon and Ukon were atop him in a moment. "You speak when you're spoken to, got it?"

"Get off of me!" Kiba yelled, trying to shove him, only to have his arms pinned down at his sides. He was jerking his body wildly and tried to lash out with his feet. He was quickly stopped when a hand reached out and slapped his harshly. He whined with pain as Ukon's arm slipped back and Sakon chuckled as Kiba's body quieted from the previous onslaught. Sakon cupped the brunette's face in his hand and pulled it up to meet his own. Kiba didn't let him though, opting to head-butt the wolf, making him stumble backwards. He shoved Sakon after that creating a large distance between the dazed wolf and himself so he could escape out of the still open cell door. Kiba felt exhilarated as he exited the cell, slamming the door behind him. Even if it didn't lock automatically, Sakon and Ukon would still have the obstacle of getting the door open…The fact it was silver didn't hurt either.

Kiba didn't get far into the corridor of the prison though. He ran into the hard chest of a different wolf, which he didn't sense, making him stumble back. When the brunette looked at the wolf head on, his breath caught in his throat with a sudden, unrelenting anxiety filled him. This wolf was sickly pale and the way his long black hung around his face made his unnerving yellow eyes stand out even more made him feel nervous, like he was looking into the face of a snake-like man. Kiba was seized by the arm and quickly jerked around. The wolf was strong, strong enough to whip Kiba's body like a rag doll. He was slammed into the ground and his body, just with the sheer strength of the impact, crushed the floor. The brunette let out a howl of pain as he lay in the small crater, breathing heavily as pain ricocheted up his spine, blurring his vision. He coughed, rolling onto his side, blood spattering his lips. That blow would have easily killed any human, breaking their spine and neck upon impact.

"Lord Orochimaru," Sakon had finally caught up to him, his hands slightly redden and burned because of the silver. "That was unnecessary. You could have killed him…"

"Oh?" The wolf seemed highly amused and smirked at his subordinate. "It looks like he'll live though so I'd assume there was nothing to be worried about. However, if you didn't let him escape you, he wouldn't have been injured, would he?"

Sakon was silent and nodded his head towards his Alpha. "Yes, I understand." He grabbed Kiba, dragging him back to his cell. He put the brunette down gently as to not further damage his already broken body. Kiba moaned with pain as he tried to push Sakon away from him. Ukon scoffed a little and turned his head to look at the wolf who still insisted upon rejecting their advanced.

"Hurry brother, while he's in this state, it will be easier." Kiba's body froze when he heard those words from Ukon. What exactly were their plans? Were they going to…Take him by force? Kiba's body was too paralyzed to move, let alone fight off the advancing wolf.

"Don't be afraid, I'll be gentle." Kiba's eyes widen when he heard those words from Sakon. The wolf reached out and grabbed the brunette's shoulder, pulling him close, earning a yelp of pain from Kiba. He was trying to push on Sakon's chest but it wasn't working and Kiba could hear Ukon's pleased yet sadistic chuckle knowing this was not going to end well for him. There were cold lips against his heated neck and Kiba's entire body was shaking with nervousness, the anxiety in his veins making his breath shake as he tried to calm himself. It wasn't working and when he felt a tongue snake out and lick his neck, he shivered with disgust. Sakon growled harshly and gripped Kiba by the hair, tilting his head back forward. "So, you consummated your mating I see. Well, I can fix that. We'll just have to repeat the mating ceremony again but this time I'll take you and make you mine. Do you hear me? You'll be mine and there's nothing Shino can do about it."

"Why are you doing this?" Kiba cried as he felt the lips on his neck again. Sakon continued to mar Kiba's neck with rough bites that broke up the skin. Kiba was shaking with fear as he figured out what should and probably would happen next.

"Isn't it obvious why?" Ukon asked, rolling his eyes at what he thought was a seemingly stupid question. "Because we've been watching you, wanting you, and now, we shall and will have you. You were our dream and I will be damned if I don't get to experience the sweet flesh at least once. See the way he sucks the blood up? Your blood is addictively sweet, the cries you release when in pain…They're like the most glorious forms of music. You belong to us now, and we are not willing to let you go so easily. I suggest you accept it. The transition will be easier on all of us." Kiba whimpered when he felt the sharp points of Sakon's deep scraping his neck where he had bitten previously. His blood was staining his shirt, rolling down his neck in fat droplets. Kiba closed his eyes as he tried to steady his breathing. Shino was coming. He was. He just needed to keep telling himself that. Shino would save him. He always would. Kiba screamed when a white hot pain filled his body causing him to convulse as Sakon brought him closer, as if he was embracing the smaller form. He was chewing Kiba's neck turning the skin into a pulpy mess of blood and chunked flesh.

Sakon pulled back, moaning with satisfaction as Kiba's blood dripped down his chin and neck. He licked at his skin and sucked at his lips, greedily enjoying the other wolf's hot, sweet blood. His virus was entering Kiba's system now and in the next few days he would be able to take the smaller wolf and be mates with him, just as he wanted. Sakon laid Kiba's body down. He was shaking and seemingly on the brink of passing out from his new injury. Ukon was smirking at the look on Kiba's face. "How arousing…" He stated and Sakon couldn't help but agree. He leaned in and smashed his lips into Kiba's, smearing the blood as he roughly forced the brunette into the kiss. Kiba whimpered as his lip split open from the sheer force Sakon was using to kiss him. He was shuddering and shivering. He was so afraid. He was bleeding so much. He was starting to doubt that he would live through this and before he could freak himself out further, Kiba's eyes drooped, slipping him out of the conscious world.

The wolf moaned as his nerves tingled with the new blood filling his stomach. The feeling was enormously pleasurable. It was a deep, well rooted satisfaction from the bite. He smirked and then petted Kiba's cheek. Maybe it had been better for his new mate to run into Orochimaru. It made it far easier to bite him when he was in his far weakened condition…And the look on his face. It aroused him. The pain that twisted his features and made him release soft moans….Sakon and Ukon both growled softly in their throats. Both of them would have a very good time with Kiba and his body later when he had healed but for now they had other plans. Orochimaru was leaning on a wall in the cell, having slipped in at some point while they had lost themselves in the biting and claiming of their new mate. Sakon stood up, straightening him body, blood still staining his lips and chin.

"Now that you've finally found that wolf you were so desperate to mate with, I need you and your team to wait and be ready. Itachi will not wait any longer now. And I don't want to wait to have him. My body yearns for his…And when I'm through with him, I'll need all the support I can get." Orochimaru said a smirk blossoming onto his features. "The war is upon us and it will bring glory to our names. Soon it will only be us. Only the most beautiful race, we, the werewolves will take our rightful place at the top of the food chain." Sakon and Ukon were both smirking with satisfaction. Everything was slowly falling into place. It was all like going exactly like Orochimaru said and soon he would be leading the new world, he would be the prophet, the God, he would be the savior. It was all so beautiful. The lights of success were shining brightly upon them. On this day, it was obvious; all the Gods were showing them favor. They believed in everything that they were trying to accomplish. They probably wouldn't have received such good fortune in any other case.

Orochimaru started to laugh and his laughter bounded off the walls. Indeed all was going according to plan. Itachi would be itching for blood now and if not him then his pack. Once a member is taken or killed, they all feel it. And that rage, it blinds their judgment. Perhaps now Itachi's great leadership skills would finally crumble leaving Orochimaru even more victorious. Itachi and he would mate; they would combine their packs and together crush the other Alphas. The number of wolves would expand, and expand, until every wolf fell underneath them. And with such a large army, what could stop them? Humans wouldn't know what hit them. And neither would the Night Children, especially when their food supply started to dry up and they began trying to feed on each other. All it would do is kill them even faster.

"Soon, soon my dearest, everything will be lined up. But now I need to go." Orochimaru muttered as he cupped Sakon's face, the wickedness in his eyes making them shine darkly. Sakon and Ukon both admired their Alpha, wanting his desires, sharing them. Anything for Orochimaru. Anything for their Alpha. His words were law, his ideals were goals, and his visions were truth. Orochimaru was the destined leader of the new world and he would soon be unstoppable.  
-

Itachi's veins burned with rage as he looked out over his pack. He called an emergency meeting at the last moment but everyone seemed to come promptly, knowing something had happened. Itachi usually was a very calm man, not letting unsettling emotions pervade his countenance. But now his eye brows were furrowed, his eyes shined with a distressing grief and rage that only came when something had happened. The wolves all felt the rage even though they had no idea what was happening. It didn't matter though. They were ready to follow any command Itachi was ready to give. It was them who would sacrifice everything at the drop of a hat if their Alpha commanded it. Blood would run in the streets this night. It would give a new meaning to 'paint the town red' and the war would undoubtedly come to a new and horrifying light. It was right around the corner now and they all knew after this meeting it would officially begin.

The Uchiha was growling in his throat, very quietly but it seemed to grab every single wolf's attention. They all looked up at him, admiration and fear mixing in the eyes of some. Anxiety and excitement in others. They had been waiting for this. They did not fear it any longer. It was part of life now. To protect the weaker men of the Earth measures had to be taken. This time it would be the wolves who stood up, bearing their claws and teeth so that the world's order would remain in the same light as before. This war, if it was lost by them, had the potential to destroy everything and ruin the lives of everyone it touched. They couldn't let it happen. No one in their right mind would.

"I've contacted you all to relay very important information…" Itachi was saying this and his voice was lower than usually, spiked with the anger that danced in his eyes. All of them were shivering at the tone. They had never been the other end of Itachi's angered voice before. And even though he wasn't angry with them, it still chilled them to the very core. "One of our newest females has been kidnapped. Orochimaru's forces have broken all of our laws, everything we hold sacred. I will no longer sit idly by and wait for other support or other wolf clans to come to our aid. This is inexcusable and the straw that breaks my patience. If Orochimaru wants a war, we will give him a war. We will crush him under our claws and rip his clan apart." The wolves were cheering at the words coming from Itachi's mouth. They could feel the power within them, drawing them closer to their Alpha. His words were always passionate and expressed in a relatable way. They just wanted him to talk, encourage them, and make them feel what he himself was feeling. "My pack…Are you ready? Are you ready to save the world from this impending darkness?" Itachi words were met with harsh and overzealous shoots, howls, and barks of excitement. The males of the clan were on their feet, cheering and clapping for their Alpha. They also were also fed up with all of this. How could they, one wolf clan, try to ruin everything they had worked so hard for? And then insult their clan by stealing a mated female? It was disgusting and had all the males fiery and itching for blood. It could have easily been one of their females and they would not let such an atrocity stand in their pack. They would help their brothers and rush to the battlefield, defending the honor of their pack, upholding all the laws they held sacred. This was the least they could do and they would give their lives to make sure everything the balance of the world would not fall and that no one innocent would be hurt in the process.

But suddenly, every wolf stopped, the attention averted from Itachi. But Itachi too had stopped and was looking at the door to their meeting room, smelling something most foul coming towards the house. He was growling in his throat knowing only one wolf could cause such a large stir. It was that hybrid, Kabuto. Sasuke was on his feet in a moment, heading up the stairs, Naruto looking after him, feeling extremely anxious as his mate stalked up the stairs, claws extended. "Sasuke stop." Itachi's voice rang clear and his Beta paused completely, straightening up his back and growling, moving back down the stairs. "Let him come…" Sasuke shuddered when he heard the commanding anger of his brother's voice. There was an obvious score that Itachi wanted to settle with this wolf. They heard the door upstairs open and the soft footfalls of the wolf entering their compound. He didn't even seem to care that he was not only trespassing on Uchiha territory, but also just breaking into Itachi's home and meeting spot. All of the pack was bristling with anger as Itachi's eyes narrowed at the figuring coming down the stairs. He was smirking, looking extremely pleased with himself. Sasuke growled as he passed in front of him, putting a protective arm around his smaller mate. Sai and Shino had both stepped out to see if they could, maybe, just maybe find Kiba's trail, so they weren't here to get in the imposing wolf's face. He bowed to Itachi, his silver hair swaying a little as he did.

"Kabuto…" Itachi said, his voice dripping with disgust and anger. "What do I owe this displeasure?" Kyuubi was staring at the wolf, hissing softly. Kabuto's eyes drifted over to the Vampire who was licking his lips, smirking a little. Itachi couldn't control him and that meant Kabuto was vulnerable to whatever the Vampire was plotting. The Alpha wolf's gaze shifted towards his undead companion and Kyuubi shrugged, moving back a little farther so he wouldn't be tempted to rip the wolf's arms off and beat him with them.

"Such a strange pet you've decided to adopt…" Kabuto muttered, sending a crooked glance towards the Vampire. Kyuubi's eyes narrowed and he was going to step forward and really get in Kabuto's face when Itachi stepped away from his podium, covering the distance between Kabuto and Kyuubi. The red head peered from around the Uchiha's shoulder, sticking his tongue out at Kabuto. "Itachi, I haven't come to stir up trouble with you. I just merely wish to talk, besides, I have something for you, from Orochimaru." Every wolf seemingly tensed when Kabuto said that, the amusement rolling off his tongue with each word. The pack didn't want to sit there quietly any longer, they wanted to attack. "We're a civilized race, don't you think? And that means when we start a fight, it is only proper to send a messenger."

"Hn, so what? Has Orochimaru sent you to give me a Declaration of War? This isn't something so formal as a war in the human world. We aren't large countries going to battle on each other's land." Itachi said, slightly annoyed with the wolf before him. "The hubris of your master disgusts me." Kabuto twitched at the last part of Itachi's statement but he continued to smile at the Alpha. He pulled a parchment scroll from his pocket.

"Don't shoot the messenger." Kabuto muttered and Itachi took the scroll, rolling his eyes. Kabuto turned away from Itachi then, glancing into the crowd of wolves, smirking as he did so.

"Hey, four-eyes." The silver haired wolf turned towards Kyuubi who was approaching him, very slowly, much like a predator would. "If the Werewolves are so civilized and correct, then the Children of Mikaboshi are…What you could say to be…Lesser and not nearly as respective of the rules, correct?" Kabuto blinked not completely understanding what Kyuubi was trying to say. He nodded slowly, seeing the wicked and intense look in the Vampire's stunning blue eyes. "Oh okay then. I just had to make sure." Everyone was taken by surprise when Kyuubi's body suddenly move, spinning around Itachi so that he was face to face with Kabuto. It was difficult to see the next movement but as soon as Orochimaru's right hand was sent flying into the wall behind him, everyone knew what Kyuubi did and what he had really meant. Kabuto coughed as he rolled over onto his stomach, groaning. "Next time I'd suggest you pick your words a little more wisely. You never know who can and will take advantage of them. Oh and just to let you know, I didn't shoot the messenger." Kyuubi started chuckling as the wolves just stared, in awe. Kabuto got to his feet, a small trail of blood trickling from his mouth.

"This isn't over Vampire…I'll see you on the battlefield." Kabuto spit the blood onto the floor and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Everyone was silent as Itachi turned, about to say something to his Vampire companion.

"I like that Vampire." One of the wolves in the very back of the group said making everyone burst out into laughter. Even Itachi's mood seemed to be a little lifted, especially since his pack was enjoying Kyuubi far more than before. Maybe there was a chance for their relationship after all.

But Itachi's face gained a more serious tone when he reached into his pocket and pulled out the scroll Kabuto had given him. Orochimaru must have been taking this far more seriously than he expected which meant that this next fight would be much more difficult than they had originally anticipated. Itachi gulped quietly as he cracked the seal open and unfurled the paper. Orochimaru had detailed in the letter where they would meet to fight, someone he could easier control, not good. But this was war and it wasn't like he exactly make negotiations with the other wolf at a time like this. There was no way he'd get Orochimaru to come out and face him if that was the case. Itachi scoffed a little and shook his head, right now was not the time to get distracted with Orochimaru's unrealistic expectations of this war.

He looked out at his clan, who were all looking at him expectantly. They were all waiting so patiently for news that would send some of them to their deaths. But he knew that they had all accepted it. So what else could he do? Itachi sighed a little as he returned to his place at the podium. He had to tell his pack about what he had learned. Tomorrow, midnight, the abandoned graveyard twenty minutes outside of town. That's where the battle would take place and they would win it. This time, Itachi couldn't allow Orochimaru to escape again. He had failed twice before. TWICE. And it killed him on the inside. He couldn't stand by anymore and let anyone else get hurt. He had already hurt his Gamma more than words expressed. He wouldn't forgive Orochimaru now. And it was time, time for Itachi to bring him down.  
-

The night was cool and calm, hushed of the summer winds and the drone of the far off, muted city fell upon deaf night's ears. The strong light pollution no longer existed out here. It was dark and quiet. But the air was off this night, filled with anxiety and fear. Sometimes a rush of excitement would grip it, though as quickly as it came, it would be blown away. Slowly, so slowly, almost a crawling pace Itachi's pack and Kyuubi's clan had descended upon the agreed land. The graveyard had long since been abandoned. The bodies dug up and moved to a much nicer, easier to access location. The head stones and burial plots littered the ground, some cracked, some covered in weeds and wild flowers, giving the place a feel of neglect and hopelessness. A tree sat in the middle of the graveyard and though it was the middle of summer it had no leaves. It was barren and dead, the bark chipping off and falling away. It was also like a metaphor for what was going to happen today. Summer brought life and happiness to all that touched it, but his pack would lose some bark today, lose some outer protective shelling. Member's lives would be given up and Itachi couldn't help but feel a strong sadness within his heart. How could it have come to this so soon?

Itachi moved forward, Kyuubi at his side, the wolf's grace and agility making it easy for him to maneuver around the grave stones, plots, and the occasional still open graves of the forgotten dead. Sasuke, Sai, and Shino all followed right behind him. They were his support system. They were his strongest allies. He wouldn't let anything happen to them. Especially not Sasuke. He didn't know what he would do if he lost his little brother…Sasuke was everything. The only family he had left.

Naruto leapt over a hole in the ground and was mirroring Sasuke's movements only as his shadow, gracing the dark behind him. The blond was the only female here that Itachi begrudgingly allowed. Mostly because he felt that even one of his commands couldn't keep Naruto away, especially since Kiba's disappearance. But now, it didn't matter. The blond could help and if anything it would make Sasuke more vicious and protective; make him a better, more lethal fighter. A mate's presence brought out the best and worst in a wolf fight and Itachi hoped he had made the right decision in allowing Naruto to come.

The scent of wolves was everywhere, Itachi's eyes glanced around. He couldn't see them yet and he hoped that he wasn't walking right into an ambush of some kind. To be honest, Itachi wouldn't be surprised at all if they did. He wouldn't be surprised if Orochimaru didn't even show up either. The man, deep down, was a coward. And if the battle for him got hairy, he would flee, just like he had before. Itachi scoffed and a sudden movement made him pause in all motion, claws starting to spring forward. He whipped his head around to see his pack separate, backing away from a surprise attack. Of course it was going to be like that.

The change was quick. The entire pack was in their wolf form, hunched low to the ground as their jaws snapped at the intruding wolves tried to separate and conquer them. Itachi growled lowly in his throat as he jumped into the fray, being followed by his Beta. Sasuke leapt forward, grabbing a silver wolf by the neck and wrenching the body to and fro, effectively breaking its neck. Blood and fur started to fly everywhere as the carnage ensued. Vampires were hissing and growling as they used their massive strength to break bones, sever spines, and decapitate wolves. Itachi eyes shifted around and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. This wasn't Orochimaru's normal pack; they didn't exactly smell as he remembered Orochimaru did. In fact, the scent of the wolves was familiar…Itachi growled lowly in his throat when he finally recognized the scent. It was Pein. He had stopped by right before Kiba was kidnapped…Pein had been helping Orochimaru the whole time. He had even gone so far as telling Itachi not to get in contact with the Elders and getting more reinforcements. Could what he said be a lie? Had the Elders really changed? To Itachi, it didn't particularly matter now. He had to get through this pack and the other members before too much blood of his pack was spilled. He saw a few of his members, cold, dead. He could say it was lucky none of them who had mates who would mourn, but he felt the sting of loss no matter their status. They were his people and he was connected to each one of them.

Shino was running through the crowds of wolves and Vampires. He was looking for Sakon and Ukon. He was desperately searching for them. He wanted blood. He wanted his revenge. They took his mate and now they would pay the ultimate price for it. He snarled lowly as a wolf tried to attack from his side. He gracefully dodged it, flipping around to lunge and strike this miniscule threat. The wolf cried out, a loud piercing howl, as Shino's teeth dug into its side. The wolf crumbled to the ground, whining with pain. Shino wasn't finished though; he growled and delivered the finishing blow. The sharp, long fangs entered the delicately exposed neck of the wolf. He ripped the flesh away, causing blood to spill freely and stain his fur. The wolf sputtered and whimpered as the blood flushed out of his system. The body was limp within moments and when Shino knew him to be dead, that's when the Change reversed itself. He was disgusted at the sight. It was just a kid, a boy of maybe fifteen. Orochimaru was changing them when they were still young, whether they did it willingly or not. Orochimaru was just sending them in for the slaughter. The chances of survival were still risky, no matter the situation, and infecting so many younger humans with it just insured a larger surplus of warriors. Shino's jaws snapped with anger as he charged into the fray again. He couldn't dwell upon all of those thoughts; he still had a mission to accomplish and his sights were set on a certain, very annoying set of twin wolves.

Kyuubi was side by side with Itachi, both of them making a devastating pair. The Vampire was decked out with silver teeth coatings, just like the rest of his clan, and they were proving to be an effective weapon against the attacking wolves. Verbally Itachi couldn't communicate with Kyuubi in his current form, but he felt as though the red head knew he was appreciative of all of his help. He hoped that after all of this was over he could, perhaps, make Kyuubi retire from his current clan status and have him come to live with the Uchiha pack…As their new pack mother…As Itachi's mate…Itachi knew he shouldn't be having such hopeful thoughts at this moment, they didn't know what the outcome of this battle would be. And Itachi didn't want to think about the possibility of he or Kyuubi…dying. The red head ducked under a striking wolf and hissed when he received a kick to his shoulder, knocking him to the side, and to the ground. Itachi turned to look at his fallen companion and that's when he made his first mistake. Being caught up in Kyuubi, he didn't notice the approaching presence behind him, and certainly couldn't dodge fast enough the flying, spiral of dark magic. Itachi cried out when he was sent flying across the ground, whimpering softly as he struggled to get back to his feet. So Kabuto finally decided to grace them with his presence. Kyuubi was skidding backwards, landing next to Itachi.

"Are you alright?" He asked, petting Itachi briefly before turning his attention back to Kabuto. He hadn't bothered to Change. He was still in his annoyingly haughty human form. Itachi huffed his reply and started to stalk forward, only to be halted by a barrage of dark magic. Kabuto seemed to be on the top of his game, yet he was frivolously shooting his magic around, like he expected this to be a quick battle. Itachi didn't like the way this was going…Kabuto wasn't an idiot; he wouldn't just do things willy-nilly. That meant there was a reason behind his adventitious attacks. Something they had yet to see. Kyuubi's entire body froze and he shrunk back, hissing and wailing suddenly as he seemed to cover his face and body.

Itachi was confused until he got a good smell of the air. There was a heavy linger scent there; one of blood. But not fresh blood. It was dead blood; blood that had been allowed to sit and stagnate, coagulate and congeal. Kyuubi was hissing and Itachi noticed then that some of the Vampires were writhing and stumbling around, making them easier to line and a kill. What was going on?

"Dead man's blood, real helpful stuff, don't you think Kyuubi?" Kyuubi was hissing and shaking as Kabuto held up a vile. It was thick and dark red, almost brown in color. Itachi's growled at the vile. This was a problem he hadn't thought of. He'd nearly forgotten how vulnerable Vampires were to dead blood. It was poison in their system, even the smell made them ill. It slowed them to a stop as their already dead, cold systems tried to process it and remove it. From what he had read about the experiments performed on captured Vampires, if enough was introduced into their systems, they would die. If a little was added they would be slowed down, severely weakened, and it made them completely vulnerable to weapons, such as guns, for a short period of time because of how it affected their healing abilities. "Where's the tough talk now, Kyuubi? I thought you were a stronger man than this."

"You're playing dirty…" Kyuubi snapped, still shaking as he looked at the vile. There was a hand over his nose and mouth, trying to protect him from the smell.

"You have capped silver fangs. I think we're on an even playing field." Kabuto said as he approached the pair.

Kyuubi's eyes widened as he saw a blotch of blond fur come up on Kabuto from behind, knocking the wolf to his feet and effectively separating him from the dead man's blood. Kabuto cursed as he grappled with a very unhappy, vengeful Naruto. The blond's teeth were clamped down on the back of Kabuto's exposed neck and he was thrashing his body around. The silver haired man wailed but then he sprung up a barrier around his body causing the blond to be sent sailing backwards with a whine. Naruto turned back into his human form, rolling on the ground before abruptly stopping, letting out a pained moan. Kabuto didn't even have time to recover before he was struck again but not by the blond, but by Sasuke. He was snapping his jaws close to the silver haired wolf's face, obviously not pleased to see his mate being thrown around. Itachi lunged when Kabuto's hand sparked with blue sparks. He pinned it down with his paw and was about to crush the wolf's windpipe with his paw when he activated the barrier again. Sasuke and Itachi however expected this move and jumped away before they could be shot backwards by it.

They were, unfortunately, not completely unaffected by the magic. Both Sasuke and Itachi reverted back to their human forms, glaring at the wolf in front of them. "Kyuubi," Itachi voice rang out clearly even though the loudness of claws and teeth were echoing behind them. "Kyuubi, take Naruto and get out of here. Sasuke and I will handle Kabuto. Make sure your clan is okay…"

Kyuubi gave Itachi one passing glance before he leapt over Kabuto's head and landed next to his little brother, who was on the brink of unconsciousness. He picked the boy up before jumping away.

"Vampires remind me so much a fleas…" Kabuto's voice rang out. He was lying on his back on the ground. There was blood pooling around his body and his barrier still hadn't dissipated. "Blood-sucking pests." He sat up suddenly and his entire barrier changed color. It went from red to blue and all of Kabuto's injuries started to heal themselves. Even the blood that had been staining his skin and clothes was slowly starting to be reabsorbed by his system. Itachi's eyes narrowed.

Shino was still whipping around, feeling more and more agitated as the seconds ticked on. He hadn't seen head or tail of Sakon and Ukon. It was as though they weren't even here. It made Shino's blood boil in his skin. Where was he? What had he done with Kiba? Shino's body suddenly stopped and he felt a ripping pain shooting up his spine. The pain was so intense that his body switched back into his human form. He gripped his hear where it beat unevenly and throbbed in his chest. He had heard about this pain before when he was first learning about becoming a Werewolf. When someone had taken another's mate and then proceeded to try and Mark them after a different Mark was in place, it would rip through their bond and attempt to replace it. That meant one thing. Sakon and Ukon both weren't here because they were trying to re-mate Kiba. But this was a delayed reaction, Shino had learned because of the current distance between him and his mate. Kiba was probably bitten sometime before this. Probably the night before, or a few hours previous to this moment. Shino's eyes narrowed as the pain seized him again. He had to fight through this pain though, there was still a battle going on and any weakness or moment of vulnerability an enemy saw then he would take advantage of it.

"You've grown so much." Shino's body completely stopped in all motion when he heard that voice behind him. That voice he had only heard one time before. The voice that had haunted his dreams for years now. The voice he could now put and face and name to, it was Orochimaru. He was here at the battlefield, standing behind him. Orochimaru had been watching him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "What an interesting situation this is, don't you think?" Shino's gaze shifted upward and he stumbled to get back into his wolf form, coming to find that he couldn't bring the Change to his system. "How pitiful. Seems like your bond being severed was enough to bring you down a notch or two." Shino growled as he attempted to lunge at the other wolf. Orochimaru seized his arm then and quickly flipped him so that Shino was face down in the dirt. He got a mouthful of it and started choking and coughing. "Is that really a proper greeting for the man who made you? The Uchiha pack has made you rude…and so unbelievably weak…"

"I'm not weak!" Shino exclaimed as his arm was twisted painfully in his socket. Anymore pressure and he knew that his arm would break from its socket and cause him unbelievably agony. Just because he healed quickly didn't mean he was completely immune to the horrid sensations placed upon him. "Perhaps if you hadn't have sent your _inbred_ wolf pup after my mate, I could show you my full power."

Orochimaru chuckled. "You'll prove your worth to me soon. But until then, I have bigger fish to fry…I've had my eye on Itachi for a good while now and I will not leave this place empty handed. When I'm through, you'll wish I never left you with the Uchiha."

Shino felt relief flood his system as Orochimaru released his hold and disappeared into the skirmish. What exactly did he mean? Sai came running up to him, nudging Shino with his nose. The wolf got to his feet and he looked at the other Gamma, anxiety striking his features. "Sai we need to find Itachi, NOW."

Itachi's jaws clamped down on Kabuto's arm, shaking him and pulling him towards the large wolf. Sasuke had leapt onto his back and was attempting to break his spine by biting Kabuto's neck and pushing against him with his heavy, large paws. Kabuto was holding back his cries of pain as the blue barrier surrounded him. The wounds they were inflicting weren't doing damage anymore. They were just being deflected by the healing light. It made this fight impossibly annoying. Sasuke jumped back from Kabuto, panting as he watched his brother continue to struggle. He looked around for Kyuubi and his mate when he received a particularly painful kick to the side of the jaw. Sasuke yelped as he was brushed aside. Itachi and Kabuto both stopped fighting with each other to glance over at Sasuke. Itachi knew that presence anywhere. And Kabuto just seemed so pleased that he couldn't contain his excitement. His smirk was wide and vicious.

"Looks like time's up, huh Itachi?" Kabuto said as he released his red barrier again. Itachi changed back, spitting Kabuto's blood on the ground as he did so. The barrier blocking the virus was quite annoying but there wasn't much he could do about it. Itachi didn't know how to block magic and it wasn't like he could use magic either, so it was just better to try and incapacitate him at all costs. But that needed to come later…

Itachi took in the figure and swallowed hard. This had been Orochimaru's plan all along. And how could the Uchiha not have seen it coming? In his hand he held a very paralyzed looking Kyuubi by the hair, blood was dripping out of the sides of his mouth and he was gagging, vomiting up more blood. It was obvious that Kyuubi had been poisoned by the dead blood. Orochimaru must have been watching him, trying to find any and all weaknesses he had, and what would hurt him the most. Itachi growled lowly in his throat and Orochimaru just started smirking and laughing.

"Oh no, no, no, little Uchiha." He pulled the Vampire closer, causing him to moan. "If you try anything, I'll make sure he dies in the worst way possible…Kabuto, make sure our Uchiha is comfortable."

Kabuto nodded and then a large, red, impenetrable barrier popped up around him, sealing him inside a small box shaped prison. Itachi didn't know what he could do and passed a glance towards Sasuke, who was rolling onto his side, holding his jaw and almost pushing on it to put it back in place. The older Uchiha stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Your fight isn't with Kyuubi. Just let him go and we'll fight, one on one. I know that's what you want."

"Itachi don't think so lowly of me. I've changed in these past few years, I assure you of that much. I want something different from you now." Itachi's face was completely blank and his fists clenched, claws starting to grow. "No need to get upset with me, darling." Itachi's eyes narrowed at that comment. He knew what Orochimaru wanted from him now and he would NOT let him have it. He would not allow himself to become this wolf's mate, let alone his bride. "Be my bride, rise to power with me. Do we really need to continue to fight? Together we can rule this world and with our powers combined, _we will be unstoppable_." Sasuke was growly loudly by then and he lunged, only be grabbed by Orochimaru's free hand and whipped around to where Naruto was approaching silently from behind. The blond yelped when his mate was slammed into his body, knocking them both away from the powerful wolves. Itachi couldn't see what exactly had happened to them because Orochimaru moved in front of them, still yanking Kyuubi along. "However, I know you have your eyes on this…Blood-sucking demon and we need that to end, don't we?"

Itachi's eyes shot open as he saw Orochimaru bite down into Kyuubi's neck, ripping the side of his neck out painfully slow. His mouth hung open in the position of a scream as he watched in utter horror as his fist beat and tried to push through the barrier. At the last moment the barrier gave way and Itachi stumbled slightly as Orochimaru threw Kyuubi's barely conscious body to the ground. He was laughing in a very amused way as Itachi got on his knees next to the dying Vampire. He was holding Kyuubi's limp body and holding back the cry of anguish in his throat. He hadn't even started official mating rituals with the red head, but he felt a horrid, aching stab in his chest. He loved…him. He loved him so much. "I suggest you say your last words to him now. He won't be alive for much longer." Kabuto quipped and Itachi's claws struck upward, blindly. Kabuto sputtered as he was knocked backwards, a huge gash in his side. It was deep and leaking blood. Orochimaru walked up to his Beta and shook his head.

"I think that wounds a little too serious, even for your healing abilities." Orochimaru shrugged a little and put his hand on Kabuto's head, kneeling down. "Don't worry though." Kabuto's eyes brightened up a little before he realized the hand slowly slinking down to his neck. The silver haired man's eyes widened as Orochimaru snapped his neck, effectively crushing his windpipe and snapping his spine. "With your magic and loyalties, you've become too much of a liability. I can't trust you." Kabuto's body slumped over and Orochimaru stood again, looking over at a different Uchiha, a smaller, more feisty one.

Naruto was trying to bring Sasuke around by licking his face and nudging him with his nose but the Uchiha wasn't responding. He had hit his head hard when he had been thrown by Orochimaru. Sasuke moaned and his eyes cracked open just long enough to see Orochimaru's shadowed body looming over him. "Naruto…Naruto please. Run…" But the blond wasn't fast enough. Orochimaru grabbed Naruto and smirked before throwing him towards Kyuubi and Itachi. Itachi looked towards his little brother and fear seized his heart. Orochimaru threw Sasuke over his shoulder and just started laughing again.

"Since Kabuto's recently…Deceased…Looks like I'm in the market for a new Beta. Yours seems pretty good," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "But if you want to take him back from me…" He threw a piece of paper towards the bewildered Uchiha. "Come and find me!" Orochimaru reached into his pocket before Itachi could even stand, throwing a white, sparkling powder from his pocket onto the ground. When the powder cleared Itachi couldn't speak, he couldn't even breath. Naruto was wailing and flinging himself to the ground where Sasuke's body once laid.

"SASUKE!" Naruto's shrill voice cut through the silence as the wolves all started to disappear with their master. Shino and Sai burst through then, panting, covered in scratched and bite wounds. They were sweating and in their full human forms.

"We're too late…" Sai muttered softly.

Shino stomped his foot on the ground, cursing. He and Sai were so close. They had almost gotten there in time to help and save their Beta. Shino's eyes drifted downward to where Itachi was still on his knees, covered in blood that wasn't his own. Sai's gaze followed and the wolf instantly had to look away from the body his Alpha was holding. Itachi's eyes were glistening with tears. Too much. Orochimaru had already done too much. Itachi couldn't handle what he had done. He had taken his mate, his Beta…What else more could this wolf possibly do to him now?

"Itachi…"The wolf was holding Kyuubi's body, his hand against the red head's neck so that blood would stop pouring from the wound. Itachi's eyes snapped down to his face, taking in those fading blue eyes. Naruto collapsed onto the other side of his brother, tears of loss already burning down his cheeks. "Itachi stop, I'm dying. I won't make it. Not this time. The dead blood…I can't."

"I won't let you die. Not again. I didn't protect you from it the first time, I won't let you go again. We won't get lucky enough for you to pop back out of the grave this time." Itachi cried, not letting actual tears come to his eyes. He couldn't let Kyuubi think that he was going to actually die. He had to keep his façade up, not let his beloved lose hope. Itachi couldn't, he just couldn't. He had to keep strong for Kyuubi at least, when he was okay, Itachi would leave him to go and find Sasuke. He couldn't just abandon him right now.

Kyuubi laughed and then coughed and coughed; more blood staining his lips. "Don't waste your time on me. I already had one foot in the grave since I was reborn. Don't worry about me, worry about your brother…And take care of mine, will you?" Naruto grabbed onto Kyuubi's hand and the red head gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't let Orochimaru win. Don't let my death be in vein. Protect them Itachi, protect the innocent ones and the ones you love. I cannot do it anymore."

"But I love you…I couldn't even protect you. Forgive me Kyuubi, I-"

Kyuubi reached up and put a finger to his lips. "Don't cry for me Itachi. I would never have made it through all of this without you. Don't allow this to be the straw…I won't let you break. I can't allow you to give up because of me…Leave me Itachi. Go to Sasuke…Find him…" The red head's eyes were slowly closing but they sprung open when a sudden, extremely painful fit of coughing hit him again. Blood was leaking everywhere. There wasn't time anymore. "I always loved you…"

Naruto was choking on the sobs shaking through his body. His brother…His mate. Both of them had been taken from him. And he didn't do anything to save either of them. Kyuubi smiled at Naruto and when Kyuubi pulled his hand back to brush a stray hair from the blond's face, it suddenly fell flat and limp to the ground. Itachi's body was solid as he looked away, not being able to face Kyuubi's death a second time. He couldn't handle all of this…He…

"I'm going to find them." Shino announced as he walked over to his Alpha. "I will go to Orochimaru's lair and I will find them. I won't let him take Kiba and Sasuke without paying the ultimate price. Kyuubi's right. We can't let his sacrifice be for nothing. I…" He paused looking at his Alpha and the mate of his Beta. Both of them, their eyes were cold and dead. So much pain and hatred filling them up. "Take the wolves back home Itachi, bury the dead…Come and find me soon." Shino grabbed the paper Orochimaru had thrown at Itachi's feet and opened it. There was an address written in an annoyingly satisfied scrawl. "As your Gamma, Itachi, I will do anything and everything in my power to make up my absence during your time of need…If I hadn't have been so distracted by losing Kiba and finding that wolf, I could have saved Sasuke…And maybe Kyuubi…Forgive me my Alpha, but I will atone for these losses…" He memorized the contents of the paper and gave it back to Itachi, who seemed slightly more in his right mind. "Come when you are ready, I will try my best to hold Orochimaru off as long as possible."

And with that Shino changed and pursued that cursed wolf into the darkness.  
-

Shino was surprised at how quickly he had gotten to the designated cave where Orochimaru was hiding. It didn't smell like the wolf at all and that was probably why they hadn't found him until now. It disgusted Shino that Orochimaru had been under their noses the entire time. He was shaking with rage as he burst through an iron gate, expecting a fight as soon as he entered. There were no guards, no other wolves in sight. He changed back into his human form and found that the front door of the compound was unlocked, as though Orochimaru was waiting for them to come and find him. He was bringing more than just a physical fight now, he was playing with the heart of his Alpha, the heart of his Beta…Everyone. He wouldn't allow Orochimaru to do anymore damage.

He was smooth and silent as he entered and made his way through the compound. He couldn't smell many wolves around and decided it would be best if his presence here barely stirred a ripple. He needed to get in and get out without causing a massive stir within this place. He couldn't take on an army by himself. He hoped Itachi would get a grip on himself…And soon. He wandered into a room with large iron doors and gasped softly to himself. Sasuke was lying across Orochimaru's lap, fully clothed now, a small bandage on his head. The Uchiha was moaning in pain as the large, evil wolf petted his hair, snickering to himself.

Shino didn't bother with letting Orochimaru know he wasn't here. The wolf had been expecting someone anyway, right? The wolf pushed all the way through the doors, allowing Orochimaru's head to snap up towards him. The wolf smirked a little as he picked up the Uchiha in his lap and placed him on the throne he as previously occupying. Orochimaru was clapping a little, seemingly very amused that Shino had come to this place without anyone else. Shino's jaw was locking up and he ran forward, only to be ambushed from all side by a group of four wolves. Shino stopped and looked around him. Sakon and Ukon were in this group and the wolf seemed very pleased with himself.

"This wasn't what I had been expecting. Return to your posts and I will call for you if I need you. I want to speak to this wolf, alone. You understand?" Orochimaru commanded. The wolves, unpleased but still obediently moved out of Shino's way. All four of them dispersed and Shino couldn't help but wonder where they had gone…

His eyes glanced upwards as he took in the other wolf's form. He hadn't changed much from the memories, still haunting and fresh, and to be fair he almost seemed stronger. He seemed wiser, perhaps as well. He had gained much experience from being in hiding for these past few years. It wasn't a complete wonder that he had gained the upper hand on Itachi today. It was more than apparent now he had been watching…He had been waiting. And he found that moment to strike, chip away at Itachi's strength. At first it had been with the pack, which this wolf knew was ready to die for Itachi, and that had created the first dent in his armor. The second and probably the most painful came from Sasuke. Kidnapping him, taking not only Itachi's Beta, but also his little brother…It was like he was trying to make Itachi come to him, barter and exchange for something else. It was a genius move. But that wasn't where it ended either. Shino felt sick as he pictured the scene again…Killing…No, he couldn't think about that because even that struck ice into his very core. Naruto and Itachi both were now…Inconsolable.

But for now, he had his own score to settle with Orochimaru. He knew where Sasuke was and that his Beta was safe so there was only one more wolf left to find…

Shino was glaring now, the heated hatred filling his blood with a new found passionate rage. "Where is Kiba? What have you done with him?"

His laughter was derisive and cold. "I'm not really the one to ask…However, since you were one of my first creations; I suppose I can level with you. How about this? If you can kill Sakon and Ukon, I'll show you where your precious mate is. A little show for me and then a little show for you. Sound fair? I've always wanted to see what the virus has done for you. You were once weak and human...Now you're part of the perfect race. We will rule this world soon."

Shino was silent and scoffed a little, ignoring the statement's ending. He wouldn't give Orochimaru the satisfaction of his opinion on that subject. However, he was a more than happy to oblige his 'creator' in this 'show'. How the tables would turn... "How kind of you to allow me to settle the score. Bring them out and I will show you what the virus you put in my veins has done."

Orochimaru laughed haughtily as Sakon and Ukon reappeared from the shadows. "Yes, show me. Show me why I decided to create you in the first place. And I hope you don't disappoint me."  
-

**MEOW. I'm done. And I really hope you guys liked this chapter. The next chapter will consist of Shino, Sakon, and Ukon's fight. WOOO. And also the burial of Kyuu and all of those horribly sad things that made me sad.**

**Kiba: If it makes you sad, then why did you do it?  
Me: Remember? I said someone was going to die a while ago. And I'm pretty sure someone would have ripped my arms off if I killed Sasuke or Naruto, or Itachi, or one of the super main characters. Kyuubi was a good choice because, damn, you still feel awful about it when it's all done.  
Shino: this better work in my favor. Otherwise it'll be ME who rips your arms off…  
Me: Uhh…okay…This was Hitoko-sama.**


	16. Chapter 15

**THIS IS GOING TO BE THE VERY LAST AND VERY ANTICIPATED CHAPTER OF THE MATING MOON. I know, it has been a good run. And this fic has been filled with such drama we almost don't know how to handle it without exploding. Anyway, REGULAR PV. I HOPE YOU ENJOY  
-**

Kiba's eyes slowly opened and for a brief moment he thought he had gone blind. His vision was blurry and white. He shut them quickly and reopened them to see everything was just fuzzy now. Kiba moaned as he tried to sit up but was rendered completely immobile by a searing pain in his neck. A scream burned his dry mouth and throat as it was ripped from his body. What happened to him? He rolled onto his side, bringing a bruised arm up to his neck. His body hurt. It literally hurt so badly that it was a gauntlet in itself to bring his arm up to touch his neck. Blood was trickling from it, staining Kiba's chin and streaking down his chest. He didn't know how long he had been bleeding from his wound but he could tell it was something bad. Even his new healing power couldn't make it go away. The flesh of his neck was raw, completely chewed to bits. If he had been human and sustained this, he would have been dead.

The brunet forced himself to roll onto his feet. The door of his cage was open. The silver wasn't impeding his exit anymore. He couldn't feel Sakon or Ukon close by either. This could be his chance to leave and find Shino.

When he tried to stand, it was a completely different story when it came to pain. He had forgotten in his previous escape attempt, he had been slammed into the ground. His back felt like if he took a single step farther his spine would crack. Why did he always get the raw end of the deal? Kiba fell to his knees, panting because of the sheer volume of pain in his veins.

He should just give up now. He should just lay here and wait. Shino would be coming for him eventually. Or he would just die. That sounded so nice. To just die, to be free of pain. He couldn't help but think that all of this angst and agony was going straight to his head. But he was too hurt to care. Shino would be devastated if he died. But it would free Kiba of all the misery.

He slumped forward, face against the cool cement ground. If he didn't know better, he would have thought he had a fever. The cold felt good against his skin. The pain was making his stomach twist in knots and making his spine cramp up. He needed something to comfort him. His eyes slowly started to close when he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion creep up on him.

Kiba wasn't a doctor but he was pretty sure that if he fell asleep right now, he wouldn't wake up. But, he was pretty sure he was going into shock. The pain was slowly, slowly, starting to dissolve into the back of his mind. Kiba took that as a bad sign but there wasn't much he could do now. Sakon and Ukon may have been trying to take him as a mate, but they might have successfully killed him instead. Kiba found no strength in his body. He couldn't fight this, not even if he tried.

"Shino, I'm sorry." Kiba brought his hand up to his neck and shivered as tears started to burn down his cheeks. "I wish I could see you, just once more."

Kiba's body stopped moving and for a moment everything was still, everything was quiet. His eyes were closed and his breathing was starting to slow. There wasn't much time now. Not much left. Kiba felt his body suddenly flush with warmth and he assumed it was the strong glow of death tolling for him. Kiba opened his eyes, not sure what to expect, he didn't see anything. Just the cell walls and floor and bars. He hadn't died. He didn't feel any better either. But there was something different about the surroundings.

"Shino?" Kiba's voice was weak in his throat. Even if Shino was right down the hall, he wouldn't hear the brunet's cries.

Kiba felt a wave of adrenaline shake his body to life and he slowly started to move himself up from the floor and back onto his feet. He made his way to the cage door, stumbling every few steps as he did so. He could feel Shino, he didn't exactly know where he was in this place. Hell, Kiba barely knew where he was in this place, but he wasn't going to give up if he was close. He could smell him, he could sense him. Shino was here somewhere and Kiba wouldn't allow himself to die if his mate was right around the corner. No, he couldn't do that.  
-

Shino felt blood trickle out of the side of his mouth. He'd been fighting all night and he was starting to get tired. His body was aching and he was at a disadvantage. Two against one. It wasn't as though this would be a problem for him normally. The problem was that he been fighting from the battle to this moment and the constant changing in and out of form was starting to take its full toll on his body. Not to mention that now that his connection with Kiba was in the beginning stages of being severed, a part of his energy was going to reconnect them. He couldn't lose Kiba now. Not to them.

His legs were shaking as he stood up again. Orochimaru was holding Sasuke in his arms, smirking. His Beta was motionless. If it wasn't for the soft falls of his chest, Shino would have believed him to be dead. This wasn't just for him; this was for Itachi and the rest of the pack. He wouldn't allow himself to get knocked down again.

Sakon and Ukon were circling around him, slowly, their movements were teasing. Shino knew they were toying with him now. Enjoying the slow and painful death they wanted to bring him. Shino mentally cried; Orochimaru had kept the two of them off the battlefield to give them an advantage. He watched, his eyes training on Sakon's neck. Actually at this point, he couldn't tell them apart. He was exhausted. Almost too exhausted. If he took one more good hit he might pass out right then and there. It would all be over. He didn't know what to do.

In the entirety of the battle, he had only managed to land a scratch on Ukon. But that was already healing. Shino noticed a small scratch on Sakon's leg but wrote it off. It was so difficult to tell them apart anyway that he could have administered the scratch to either of them. In wolf form they looked the same, it was only when they were human he could actually tell the difference.

Orochimaru chuckled from his spot on his own very self-centered and vain throne. Shino snarled. He had been pushed out of his wolf form from exhaustion but a wave of energy began a cyclone within his body and he knew that he could change again. It would heal him faster and would put him back on his game. Sakon and Ukon were both watching as skin ripped into fur and felt the hackles of their necks rise. This didn't seem right, Shino should be right on the brink of passing out, not having renewed vigor. Shino's jaws were snarling, foam pushing around his gums.

Sakon started snarling too, a crazed devotion to spilling blood shining in his eyes. Shino knew there was no way he could take them on one on one, neither of them would sit out and let the other be slaughtered without some involvement to save the other. It seemed that their lives were almost interconnected and if one was severed, the other might also possibly fail as well. Shino thought back on the scratch, perhaps they were more connected than he realized. Shino saw this as a chanced opening. He could kill one of them and see if that would kill the other. He assumed it would since they lived in each other's bodies. They must share cells or something. He doubted their existences were completely independent of the other.

Shino's claws dug deep into floor and he burst forward, so unbelievably quick that whatever silver wolf he was approaching wouldn't be able to move with enough time to dodge. As Shino thought, the other wolf was following behind him, trying to act as a defense. He was going to try and catch Shino, probably try to trip him so he couldn't reach the other wolf. Shino knew he needed to act fast then…

In the blink of an eye, in one solid movement, Shino whipped his entire body around, fangs barred. The wolf behind him, he recognized to be Sakon. The annoying, snippy one with the shit attitude. He chomped down on the silvered fur, teeth sinking and ripping out chucks of hot flesh and spraying Shino was thick, crimson streams of blood. It felt good. The blood and flesh between his teeth. Sakon instantly returned to human form and Shino looked behind him to see that the injury was spread to Ukon as well. Luckily he had gotten a good enough grab to rip Sakon's throat out completely.

Orochimaru's laughter was filling the room before harsh, loud screams took over. Both of the silver wolves had reverted back to their human forms. Blood was pouring from both necks, spilling down their chest and in heavy pools on the ground. Sakon was coughing and his screams fell silent as Shino changed himself back into a human.

He didn't know what triggered that sudden rush of energy but he felt renewed like he just started fighting. Shino turned; Orochimaru was smirking, petting Sasuke's hair like he was nothing more than a lap dog. Shino knew now that since he had finished Orochimaru's annoying challenge that he was in a position to finally, after years and years of silence, to ask him anything and everything he had wanted closure for. Orochimaru was smirking, still coddling the unconscious form in his lap. The wolf's smirk annoyed Shino; it was like he knew something that…

Shino felt his leg being grabbed from under him and was pushed roughly to the floor. He hadn't kept his eye on Ukon who was holding and applying pressure to his neck. It wasn't coming out nearly as quickly or in such large amounts as his brother. His entire body was shaking with anger and Shino reached up, grabbing his face and grappling with the extremely angry wolf on top of him.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Blood sprayed Shino's face and he managed to flip Ukon off of him. "I'LL DIE WITHOUT HIM!"

"Then die…" Orochimaru was in front of Ukon within a moment's notice and Shino's eyes widened when he the wolf's arm reach up, grab Ukon's chin, and snap Ukon's neck in one solid movement. Ukon made no sound as his body fell to the ground, eyes wide with betrayal and shock. But Shino himself knew that he should have been expecting a move from Orochimaru like that. Sakon and Ukon came in a pair; take out one of them, would lead to taking out the second.

Orochimaru held out his hand for Shino but he slapped it away. "You're really something, you know that?"

He just laughed at Shino's comment. "He was trying to kill you and now you're defending his death like he didn't deserve to die? You heard him, without Sakon, he would have died anyway." Orochimaru's off-handed attitude made Shino see red like he had never seen it before. He could forgive Sakon and Ukon, they had been led astray and drown in their own undoing. But how could he forgive Orochimaru? How could he forgive a creature so unbelievably wicked and cruel? How could he forgive a wolf who kills his own pack?

Shino felt his body move, he became a mess of all claws and fangs but was stopped very quickly by Orochimaru. "I would like to remind you that I am an alpha and more than that to you, I am your creator. You can't lay a hand against me." Shino's arm was in a vice-like grip and he felt the strength suddenly leave him. That couldn't be true. He could kill Orochimaru, just because Orochimaru created him doesn't mean anything. "I can see it in your eyes, the debate. Can you really kill me? Let me tell you something, you cannot kill what you did not create."

Shino felt the air leave him when Orochimaru's fist connected with his gut, making him slump to the ground, blood spurting from his lips.

"SHINO!" That voice…

Shino turned his head quickly and nearly cried when he finally caught the first glance of his mate. Kiba fell to his knees and then stooped even lower, coughing blood onto the floor. He tried to sit back up and just went limp and fell forward. Shino ignored Orochimaru. He couldn't deal with that wolf now, not with his mate in dire need of his help. Shino hands shook with fear as he picked his mate up. His neck was chewed to shreds, blood, muscle, and sinew all mangled together into a mess of browning, drying tissues.

Shino's eyes were burning with tears left unshed. Kiba's body had been fighting so hard to keep from becoming Sakon and Ukon's mate that it just started to almost deteriorate. He didn't know how fresh the wound on his neck was, but it wasn't healing. There were no signs of it anywhere. Shino's stomach was sinking fast and he had to suppress the urge to vomit. And it wasn't just from the wound, no, just from the sheer and utter agony sucking the bile up his throat. He never wanted this to happen to Kiba. And what was worse was that he felt more and more that his mate was slipping away, right through his fingers.

"What a pity. You came all this way and he might die right here." Orochimaru commented from behind Shino. The black haired wolf leaned forward and started to lick the wound, hoping, praying, that even just this could help Kiba hang on. He just needed to hang on until Itachi and the rest of the pack came. "Poor little wolf, so alone. Who will come to save you and your mate? Who will help something as pathetic as the two of you? Your choice of mate was deplorable. Look at him. He can't even heal himself. He couldn't even protect himself from a different wolf's advances…And then there's you. You, Shino, impressed and disheartened me. I'll admit killing Sakon was quite the feat, but then you fell flat on your back as soon as your mate becomes injured. I had so many hopes for you as a wolf but you're no better than the rest of Itachi's pack." Shino's entire form was shaking during Orochimaru's lording-over-everything speech. Orochimaru thought he was perfect, untouchable. But what had he really created? A misfit group of wolves who knew nothing about the society who wanted to save them from themselves. "However, as soon as I have Itachi, everything will change. He will bring your pack and I will bring the new wave of rules, of new and wonderful life."

Shino pulled Kiba closer into his body. He felt dirty, so unbelievably dirty. He was created by this monster and then created a different being himself. Shino shook his head. This couldn't be happening. Orochimaru seemed to be reveling in this, like he planned it from the start. He was picking them all apart and making sure to quickly and precisely destroy anything left of their will. He hit Itachi hard and now he was breaking Shino apart so that he wouldn't want to get up and fight him anymore.

Orochimaru started to chuckle to himself and Shino looked over his shoulder at the wolf, standing tall and proud behind him. So full of himself, so prideful. It disgusted him. Shino stopped caring about that man and his words; Kiba was still alive in his arms, in desperate need of help. Shino thought that maybe, just maybe, if he injected Kiba with the virus again, his strain, that it could save him. But he was unsure. The last thing he wanted to do was miscalculate how forceful his bite was and cause massive bleeding. Kiba was hanging on by small threads and Shino did not want to be the scissors that severed them.

Shino jumped a little when he heard Orochimaru's cry of pain. When he turned, he saw a full wolf Sasuke, hanging onto flesh of Orochimaru's shoulder, using his weight to try and pull him down. Shino and Sasuke's eyes locked for a brief moment before Sasuke started to gnaw and chew on the other wolf. Orochimaru was swearing and trying to grip Sasuke in a way that would pull him off, but Sasuke only continued to get more and more stuck into the flesh.

But that's when the change transpired, knocking Sasuke loose. Orochimaru's wolf form was one of the strangest things Shino had ever seen in his life. He had seen Orochimaru's wolf body once before but that was long ago. Even Sasuke, who had been a wolf a very long time, didn't quite understand what had just happened.

The basic shape was there, all fur and claws and teeth, the broadness of the shoulders and everything else wolf-ish. But there were modifications like Shino had never ever seen in a wolf. His tail was a whipping, biting, real life snake. And some of his body had bald patches of snake skin, almost looking silver plated scales. Sasuke backed up a little, face reflecting a lack of confidence that Shino had never seen in the Uchiha before. It was more than obvious that Sasuke wasn't sure how to approach this wolf now. He had made these modifications after the incident.

Orochimaru's body was fast and Sasuke almost couldn't move out of the way. He rolled to the side and starts to snap his jaws in warning. Shino could tell that Sasuke was fearful. He didn't know how to handle a new breed of modification like this. Orochimaru had obviously been delving in a lot of dark and powerful magic.

"_Poor little Uchiha, where's your big brother to save you? I assure you, little wolf, even he, so beautiful and powerful, won't be able to stop me. I am perfection personified. You cannot stop me." _

"Arrogant words from someone who left the front door wide open." Itachi muttered, his body seemingly appearing from the shadows. His hands were extended claws, streaked with blood. The bodies of the other wolves Sakon and Ukon had been with when Shino had first arrived when strewn across the floor. Naruto was standing beside his Alpha, eyes narrowed and lips snarled. Naruto and Itachi had silently taken out three other wolves. Their presences barely stirring a ripple.

"_Do you think you can shake my resolve by killing off my underlings? None of them are worth more than your pack Itachi. I will have you and your pack soon and I will replace everyone who died today. All of them were weak but your pack is strong, perfect minds made for me to mold."_

Itachi chuckled deeply in his throat. His eyes were dark under his long bangs as he looked up at Orochimaru, wolf features already pouring through. "You've already taken something very dear to me. I wouldn't allow you to take everything else."

Itachi's change was fast, his wolf form ripping out his clothes and quickly latching onto Orochimaru and knocking him down onto the floor. Naruto managed to leap over the battling wolves and race over to Shino and Kiba, Sasuke on his heels behind his mate.

"Shino, what the hell happened?" Naruto's hand was hovering over Kiba's wound, his eyes reflecting a very deep concern but they also blazed with conviction. It was obvious if something happened to Kiba too, he would be the one to personally rip the Orochimaru's head from his body and eat his heart out.

"Sakon and Ukon tried to reverse the bond Kiba and I had by injecting him with their own venom and replacing the mark. I…I don't even know what to do. Do I bite him again?" Shino looked pleadingly to Sasuke and Naruto, who exchanged glances between each other. Naruto looking unsure and Sasuke gaining a pensive quality.

"That might be the only option right now. To re-strengthen the bond between you could recharge his energy and metabolism." Sasuke muttered. "But I'm unsure…"

"Kiba can't die here Sasuke…" Naruto said, almost whispering.

"The only thing left to do is try it and hope for the best…" Sasuke's tone was a little stunted in his throat. The uncertainty of his Beta made Shino's hands shake. He was afraid he was going to mess this up.

But what else could he do? Shino tentatively licked the wound free of blood, making Shino's eyes flicker. Shino hushed his mate as a whine of pain slipped through his dry and cracked lips. "I'm sorry." Shino bit down into the pulpy flesh and Kiba's mouth opened in a silent scream before his eyes rolled back in his head and he stilled.

"Shino, Sasuke." Naruto had a weak smile trying to reassure them. "I'll take care of Kiba, go help Itachi. He's going to need it." Shino's body stayed in a kneeled position until Sasuke gripped his shoulder.

"Let Naruto handle this. He's bonded to Kiba too." Shino nodded and then was swiftly knocked off his feet by Orochimaru's snake tail. It wrapped around him and pulled him across the floor, Sasuke running after him. The snake whipped up, the head striking Sasuke in the arm. He hissed with pain as he fell to the floor, groaning and moaning. The snake head was venomous. Sure his healing abilities would kick in and help him but until then, he was in for a lot of pain.

"Itachi, watch the head. It has venom." Sasuke called out and his brother nodded. Itachi was seething at this point. He was still keeping himself calm and collected knowing Orochimaru would take advantage of a rage blinded Itachi. Itachi backed himself up and lunged forward, teeth colliding with the silver implanted scales. His teeth burned and felt like they were going to fall from his head. He growled.

Orochimaru's modified body was nothing like he had ever dealt with before. And it was obviously surprise for them, which was why he hadn't changed at the battle. Itachi could deal with Kabuto because it was something he had seen and could adapt to. But this was completely different.

The muscles of Itachi's body rippled as Orochimaru lunged at him. They wrestled around, exchanging bites and scratches. Fur and blood flew until Orochimaru yelped, rolling away from Itachi. Shino had changed forms and bitten straight into the snake's head. Shino freed himself from the constriction and jumped onto Orochimaru's back. His paws burned from hitting the silver scales but he ignored the pain as he clamped his jaws down on the back of Orochimaru's neck. The wolf wailed and howled, trying to wretch Shino off his back and throw him to the ground. Shino wasn't letting go. He wouldn't allow himself too. This wasn't just for him, not for Itachi. This was for Kiba. If he died here then he would be satisfied knowing that Orochimaru also died here as well.

Itachi rushed to Orochimaru's side, latching himself onto the side of his neck. Orochimaru's body stilled knowing if he pulled away, Itachi would have a thick chunk of his throat as a keepsake.

But that's when he did something neither of them expected. He changed back. His smaller body slipped easily from Itachi and Shino's jaws. He was able to roll out from under Shino's mighty paws, causing both wolves to snarl and growl as they surrounded him, eyes trained on his soft skin and under belly.

"You can't do this! I'm supposed to be the grand master of every wolf. You're weaker than me!"

"_It doesn't matter if individually you can break us down, or if you're stronger when it comes to one on one. A good Alpha doesn't just rely on his own strength. He relies on the strength of his pack. That, Orochimaru, is why you cannot defeat me or my pack." _

"I won't allow you to defeat me!"

"It's a little too late for that." Orochimaru turned and when he did so, a clawed arm burst through his heart and then a second through his throat. Sasuke's eyes widened to not only see Naruto but Kiba as well. Both of them were smirking, retracting their appendages. Orochimaru's body was stumbling backwards. Itachi grabbed onto Orochimaru, who reached up and cup Itachi's cheek one more time. The Uchiha's face scowled as he grabbed onto the limb and ripped it from his body.

"We aren't going to let you come back twice." Itachi said. Shino grabbed onto Orochimaru's legs, face as solid as stone as he helped Itachi rip Orochimaru apart, limbs coming undone like string on a sweater.

"Sasuke, would you like to have the honors of ripping his head off? Seeing as though you haven't had your fair chance to redeem yourself for being kidnapped."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he slowly got back on his feet. "I missed you too Itachi…" And to think he was worried about his brother's feelings while he was here…

Orochimaru's eyes were still open and he was slowly bleeding out. He was looking franticly around, hoping there was some way he could be saved. But when he felt Sasuke's hands on his head and a foot on what was left of his shoulder, Orochimaru knew it was over. Sasuke let out a mighty growl before completely tearing Orochimaru's head from the sinews and tissues. Blood splattered his face and shirt.

After this everyone felt a sudden flood of relief. It was finally over, all of it. Naruto ran up to Sasuke and threw his arms around his mate. The strong wave of comfort rolled over them as they kissed. "I missed you. I was so worried." Naruto was muttering between kisses.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I love you."

Shino came up to Kiba and pulled him so direly close. They just stood there in such a delicate, heartfelt embrace. "I'm so sorry Kiba. I wasn't there to protect you. And you almost died. I'm sorry. Nothing I do now will ever make up what happened to you."

Kiba smiled as he pulled back a little. He went in for a kiss and then head-butted Shino, making the black haired wolf's glasses fly off his face. The wolf fell to his knees, curdling his new wound. He fell to his back when Kiba nudged his chest with his foot. The annoyance on Kiba's face was so apparent that the other three wolves just stared in awe. They all thought it would be a tearful beautiful reunion, but apparently Kiba didn't think that was the case.

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW LONG I WAS WAITING FOR YOU?!" Shino was cowering on the floor as Kiba was kicking him in the leg, his face flushed completely with rage.

"Is that what I look like when I'm mad?" Naruto asked and Sasuke nodded.

"Except you're way more physical. You would have probably punched me in the face three times by now."

"I don't understand you kids and your relationships." Itachi said.

"You've never had a headstrong female."

Itachi looked sideways at his brother. "Kyuubi wasn't headstrong?"

"Good point."

"I'm going to miss him…"

"It's okay, Itachi. He died protecting what he loved." Naruto muttered, gently patting Itachi on the back. "I'm just glad that was the case…"

"At least you'll share my pain for a while. I'll buy ice cream and tissues."

"You're a good man Itachi." Naruto said and he hugged his Alpha. Sharing warmth with him, even only for a second.

"YOU BASTARD!" They all turned to see Kiba on top of Shino, kissing him hard on the mouth. There were tears in his eyes. "I was so scared. I missed you so badly. I called for you and never thought you'd come for me."

Shino knew then that the strength he gained to kill Sakon and Ukon was from Kiba. Their bond had never been severed by them. If anything it was stronger than ever.

"I know this is a great reunion and all. But we need to go." Itachi said. "Sai's outside with enough lighter fluid and gasoline to burn down the Eiffel tower."

After the match was lit and the lair went up in flames the full realization dawned on them. It was finally over. Orochimaru had been found and put down for good. Countless wolves and vampires had laid their lives down to stop him and it wasn't for nothing. It was all finally to a conclusion everyone could live with. Kiba and Shino's fingers intertwined as they stood side by side, looking up at the orange and yellow flames.

Fire cleansed and purified everything it touched. And they all hoped that the flames of Hell would cleanse everyone's lives of Orochimaru and his poisonous existence.  
-

**A FEW WEEKS LATER (epilogue)**

"Oh my God, it is soooo hot. I think I'm dying!" Naruto whined. All of the windows of Sasuke's car were down and there was nothing but cool air filling in. The blond was leaned all the way back in his seat, nearly smashing Kiba, who was sitting behind him.

"If you don't move your damn seat up, it won't be the heat that kills you."

Naruto sat up and the seat came up with him with just a pull of the lever. The blond huffed. "Would you just calm down, Naruto?" Sasuke muttered. "We'll be at the beach in a few minutes and then you can throw yourself in the ocean to your heart's content."

"But Sasuke!" The blond whined in a high pitched voice. "I'm hot and annoying now!"

"Yeah but we're not talking about your personality." Sasuke quipped.

The blond leaned across the stick shift and started punching Sasuke in the arm. Shino rolled his eyes and Kiba leaned over and rested his head on the black haired wolf's shoulder. He kissed his mate on the head. "They're so cute when they fight." Shino muttered and Kiba chuckled.

"Almost as cute as us." The brunet was smiling coyly and turned when he heard huffing coming from a shaky, sweaty blond from the front seat.

"No, no, Sasuke and I are way cuter." Naruto was glancing over the back of his seat so he could stare at the pair behind him. "You guys are boring. Sasuke and I are exciting. Dynamic."

"So that's what you call it? I thought random and idiotic was far more fitting." Shino replied and Naruto started pouting.

"Sasuke, Shino doesn't think we're cute."

"I heard…" Sasuke said leaning over to steal a kiss. "And don't worry, we're way cuter. They're just jealous."

"I love you!"

Sasuke pulled into a paved area where only a few more cars were parked and found a spot right under a large shady tree. The Uchiha popped the trunk as Shino, Kiba, and Naruto got out of the car. Naruto seemed to bounce with excitement as he grabbed a bag full of towels from the back, then quickly snatching up Kiba's hand and raced to the beach. That left the heavy cooler for Shino and Sasuke, who both sighed as they lifted it together. Truth be told, both were strong enough on their own to pick the cooler up but it looked more natural to share the weight.

Naruto was waving at the two males as he jumped in place. Ever since all the craziness happened they hadn't had much time to relax. Now that school was out and everything finally had a semblance of normal, it was nice that they could just enjoy the summer vacation before everyone had to start college in the oncoming fall. Shino and Sasuke put the cooler down and the Uchiha walked up to his excited mate, kissing him softly before grabbing onto his arm and dragging the blond to the water's edge, picking him up, and unceremoniously throwing Naruto in.

"Huh, I'm surprised you haven't let go more and jumped in with Naruto and Sasuke." Shino said as Kiba sat down on a towel laid out on the sand.

"My scar is still sensitive in cold water." Kiba muttered as he brushed his neck. The wound had healed within a couple days but there was a faint whiteness that hadn't completely vanished yet. For the first couple weeks Kiba kept his neck completely covered, not even allowing Shino to see the scar on his neck. It wasn't even from shame either, it was from the fear it represented. Kiba had almost died because of that wound. But after a few good talks with everyone, Kiba embraced his scar and realized it meant far more than just a battle wound. It was a sign that he was a survivor and that he was able to hold his own as a wolf, even if he was just a female.

Shino sat down next to Kiba and opened the cooler, pulling out an icy cold soda, and pulling a second one out for his mate. They smiled at each other and laid back, Kiba putting his head on Shino's chest. The soft rhythmic beat of the black hair wolf's heart seemed to comfort and calm the brunet. He smiled and kissed the smooth skin of Shino's chest. The day was perfect. It was lulling, warm, but calmed by the salt encrusted air.

"You know, mating season is over now." Shino said suddenly. "Do you know what that means?"

"I won't be bitten again for a while?" Kiba replied and Shino smirked a little.

"Oh I don't know about that. But it means that you'll be assigned your official pack ranking soon."

Kiba turned onto his side, resting his arm on the other side of Shino's body. "Females get ranked?"

"Of course they do." Shino replied with a soft smile. "Some Females are born Alphas and Betas; they're strong leaders, even if they are the Females of our species. Itachi should be ranking you soon and the lowest you'd go is just a step behind me. But the valiant effort you showed actually may but you in an equality position with me, same with Sasuke and Naruto. We're all pretty sure Naruto is a Beta like Sasuke. They're both good in leadership position and Itachi can entrust the pack to either of them really."

"Wow…" Kiba seemed a little elated when he heard that. He had a beautiful, wondered smile. Shino leaned in and gave his mate a very sweet, soft kiss on the lips.

"However, none of that Kiba, is as amazing as you."

Kiba felt heat sinking into his cheeks and he moved his face so that he could look into Shino's eyes. The black haired wolf was smiling at his mate and brought him up so they could embrace themselves in the full dance of a kiss. When their lips met, Kiba remembered exactly why he didn't give up when he had been captured. The electricity of love blistered his veins and made the pains disburse through his body. Shino was the one to make him whole, to love him in such a delicate and perfect way. It was all too good but not enough at the same time.

When Kiba pulled away from Shino, he was smiling. But all that happiness was erased when a cold shiver burst up his back as freezing ocean water from above came raining upon him. Shino looked un-amused as Naruto burst out in laughter, shaking his tank top free of its rolled condition and sliding it back onto his body. "Ooo, the lovebirds need to get a room. Oh wait, they can't we're at the beach!" Naruto kicked up a little sand as he jumped. "We need to have group fun!"

Kiba slowly got up as Sasuke stood behind his mate, 'tsk'ing his tongue as he shook his head. "Bad pet, you've made him mad."

"Pet?" Naruto couldn't even come up with a decent response for his mate's possessive comment before he was tackled to the ground by Kiba. They rolled around the sand and beach until they got close to the water. Both of them started to cough and choke as they were washed and pushed around by the salty water.

"Perhaps giving Naruto and Kiba higher ranks at the ranking ceremony isn't such a bright idea…" Shino muttered.

Sasuke was smiling though. "Well considering we'd have one less Gamma and one more Beta, I don't think, at the very least, Naruto will be gifted the honor of rank equality."

Shino looked at Sasuke questioningly and then followed the Uchiha's gaze. A stone's throw away was Itachi and Sai, Sai sticking like glue to his Alpha. His hand interwoven with Itachi and resting his head on the Alpha's arm. It had been a couple months since Kyuubi's death and at first Itachi had been inconsolable. But Sai had been there for him the entire time just like he always seemed to be since he first laid eyes on their Alpha. The only problem was that they missed mating season, but Itachi however seemed to be taking things slow anyway. They obviously could wait.

Kiba and Naruto came back to their mates and Naruto cuddled up to Sasuke. "I'm cold."

"There's no satisfying you, is there?" Sasuke replied.

Kiba lay down next to Shino, sharing the newly acquired chill with his mate. The wolf smiled as he took Kiba into his arms and kissed him on the forehead, the saline scent filled his nose as he did so. In that soft moment, Shino knew he had made the correct decision all those months ago. That Kiba had been the piece missing from his life and he was happy to have found it.  
-

**I did it! I finally did it. I finally finished an ending chapter without drawing it out even more. I'm proud of myself.**

**Kiba: took you long enough. You said you were going to have this done like a week ago  
Me: I know. I noticed I'm extremely untruthful lately.  
Kiba: You's a lyin' ass skeeze.  
Me: What's a skeeze?  
Kiba:...I don't know but it sound appropriate.**

**ANYWAY. I really hope you guys enjoyed the ride. We're all a little sad its over, I know. But as long as we liked what happened and are satisfied with it. Then it is all good.  
ALSO: There may be a chance for a sequel. A CHANCE. there is no 100% sureness on this. If I did write a sequel i really dont know what would happen in it so that's why its kinda on the back burner of my mind..  
Thanks again for reading, I love you ;o HITOKO-SAMA OUT.**


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